Dancing With Sin
by CatatonicVanity
Summary: The ball continues... And the guests must undergo the dance with sin to see if what they're fighting for is truly worth it. To see if what they're fighting for is worth the change. AU
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, its characters or any labels mentioned within. I only own the plotline and original characters.**

**AN: _READ THIS! YA HEAR? READ_ _THIS! _Now that I have your attention, welcome to Dancing With Sin. This is the sequel to Challenge of the Masquerade, and if you haven't read that, I suggest you read that before this. Otherwise you will be horribly confused. Now, without further ado, I give you Dancing With Sin.**

**Prologue**

Mello leaned forward and rubbed his temples. This is why he didn't like dealing with people. They were so ignorant, so arrogant and for no reason. They had no fucking right.

He kicked the door in and strode into the room with an angry aura. The hacker yelped and looked up at the blonde consigliore, who growled at him.

"Where are they?" he shrieked. The hacker stuttered and yelped, looking away and biting his lips.

"W-Well you see boss, I-I don't know yet." Mello's eye twitched and he tilted his head, taking on the look of a madman. "I don't know yet! I can't get into the database that fast 'cause they'll track me!"

"I don't give a shit! I want them found, and I want it now!" He drew his gun and cocked it. His hands were shaking and it showed on the key-chain hanging from the trigger guard. The key held a single, gothic L in stainless steel.

"I-I don't know if I can do this boss!"

A gunshot rang through the room. Everyone froze and looked at the dead hacker on the floor. A neat hole was emblazoned on his forehead with blood trickling from it.

Mello turned to the room. "A new hacker. Find one, now!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Matt wired the money into an account that would be used for the Seraphs. He pondered briefly why the branches of the _Mafia,_ of all things, were named after anything pertaining to religion.

Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure that no one was watching him. He pulled up the screen that was running his hack into the Seraphs database. He needed to know where they were…

He hadn't the time for safety precautions. They would trace his hack the moment he was in, and he'd prepared for that. When their hacker traced him back, the screens would show a solid black screen with the words, "PLAY A GAME?" flashing in red letters. Mello would understand that, no doubt.

The computer quietly _dinged_ to let him know that the patch had been completed. He memorized the exact location of the base and backtracked out as fast as he could. They tried to catch him, but he cut the connection before they could properly trace him. He looked at the clock on the wall. Thirty seconds, and the screen would change.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mello cursed. The new hacker was better than the last, but still not as good as Matt. Mello closed his eyes and bit his lip at the thought of his redhead. He didn't need to think of that now. He had work to do.

"The fuck?" the new hacker exclaimed. Mello's eyes snapped open and he zeroed in on the screen, the source of anxiety.

The screen was black. Red, flashing, bleeding letters scrawled across the screen of the laptop. Mello snatched it up and soaked in the words eagerly.

PLAY A GAME?

"It's Matt," he said with certainty. "I wonder how he managed to hack us under supervision… But it's Matt. I'm sure of it."

The screen cleared and Mello handed the computer back to the junkie sitting next to him. The guy simply started running checks to make sure that a virus hadn't been downloaded.

'_Matt… What are you planning…?'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Matt formed a calendar in his head. He didn't know how long it would be, but he would find a way to get out. He'd run away… One of the subordinates, maybe… Perhaps he could get one of them on his side like with Deon. But no, that would be too much to hope for. He could always fool one of the subordinates. After all, they weren't too brilliant.

Matt stared up at the ceiling, even though he couldn't see anything for the inky blackness. The familiar click of the lock secured him in the windowless room until dawn, or his father wanted to play. No matter what happened, Matt would continue planning.

'_I'll get out of this God-forsaken place. I'm coming home, Mello… If only to make sure you don't chase me here instead.'_


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, its characters or any labels mentioned within. I do own the plotline and original characters. **

**AN: Short chapter is short. Holy hell, this gave me trouble. Please forgive how awkward it is. **

Matt hunched over and continued typing. He tried not to listen to the events happening behind him and he tried to ignore his father sitting right next to him. He continued on his task. The door flew open and Matt tried not to look around, but found his eyes being drawn anyway.

A tall man with long black hair was being frisked. The man wore a black, button up dress shirt hanging over a pair of jeans. His hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. When they found no weapons on him, Thomas surveyed him.

"So, you want in?" The man nodded and a traitor was lead out of one of the back rooms. Matt recognized him faintly; it took him a second to remember that the man had been caught stealing money a few days ago. He was bound and shaking as he was shoved to a kneel. The raven haired man surveyed the scene silently and Thomas threw him a gun. Steady hands caught it and dark eyes examined it.

"Prove it."

The pistol was cocked. The man took aim and decorated the floor with bone and blood as a crack permeated the air. Matt closed his eyes briefly and turned back to his laptop, too used to the sound to bother with being affected.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Nikolas, what's going on?"

"I'm in. They frisked me and made me shoot some druggie."

Mello took a vicious bite of his chocolate bar and grit his teeth through the frozen confection. "Did you see Matt?"

"Yeah, I saw him. He's their hacker. He was kept real close to the boss the whole time."

"Did he have any bruises?"

"Well, yeah. He had a pretty nasty looking black eye, a split lip and it looked like a bruise on his cheek. He kept quiet the whole time. He was a bit skinny, too."

Mello took several deep breaths to calm himself. Everyone in the room watched with bated breath.

"And his sleeping arrangements?" This was what really mattered. This was what was happening to his Mattie…

"Well, they don't trust him. He's kept in a room that's locked from the outside, no windows. But, boss…" Nikolas hesitated.

"What is it?" Mello's voice was harsh and angry.

"The men are allowed to go in anytime and… Well, the boss said they could play with him when they wanted. As long as they didn't break him."

Several curses and the sounds of things being thrown around and broken came from the other line. Nikolas flinched bit his lip.

"Go in tonight. Talk to him. Prove to him that you're trustworthy and tell him what the plan is."

"Yes boss." Nikolas clicked the phone shut and took a deep breath. He was in some _deep_ shit if he got caught.

Mello snarled and paced around his room. The chocolate bar in his hands was reduced to crumbs at the thought of what was happening to his redhead.

He was _furious._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Matt kicked blindly, smiling inwardly when his foot connected with something that resembled skin. The man that had snuck into his room cursed and ran, opening the door and letting light stream in. Matt assessed the damage quickly while the attacker stumbled out of the room. He was pleased with the amount of blood he'd drawn.

And he didn't miss that the new guy slipped in before the door shut.

Matt coiled his body harshly, causing his aching muscles to scream in protest. He crept away as silently as possible, trying to control his breathing. The new guy, who Matt had learned was called Nikolas, walked casually across the room, not bothering to mask his footsteps.

Matt found himself stumbling over his bed. He made quite a bit of noise as he fell, and he cursed when the footsteps changed direction.

"Matt-" Nikolas said before being cut off.

"Stay the fuck away from me," Matt said in a crass tone.

"Matt, I'm not going to hurt you." Matt followed the voice and lunged through the black room, colliding painfully with a body.

Nikolas caught him and turned their bodies, falling back on the bed. He caught Matt's fall and wrapped his arms around the redhead's waist, turning their bodies and pinning Matt to the bed. A strong hand clamped down over Matt's mouth and muffled any protests.

"Matt, I swear I will not hurt you. Mello sent me here as a spy."

Matt's body went rigid. He was surely hearing things, he had to be. There was no way Mello had sent a spy…

"Can I move my hand?" Matt nodded slowly. The hand was moved slowly and Nikolas peeled his body off of Matt's.

"How do I know that you're telling the truth?" Matt asked immediately, sitting up and wincing at his injuries. A sudden light appeared and Matt found that it came from Nikolas's cell phone. He guided the light along the wall until he found an outlet, which he plugged a charger into. When he hooked up his phone, a dim light illuminated the room.

Nikolas turned back to Matt. "I have a first aid kit that I set in here, and I'll let you bandage up your cuts and all in a minute. And I know that you don't trust me, but I swear that I was sent by Mello. He wanted me to give you this." Nikolas dug about in his pocket and withdrew a silver chain with a church bell charm. Matt stared at it silently before taking it in his hands and rolling the charm between his fingers.

"Die Glocken," he whispered with reverence. _'The bells…'_

Nikolas began wrapping the wounds inflicted on Matt. "You'll have to take these off in the morning, but for now they should make it a bit better."

Matt nodded numbly. "What's the plan? What's Mello going to do?"

Nikolas sighed. "He wants you to talk to me and for me to observe the base and the patterns until I have enough knowledge to email it to him. When he feels he has sufficient information, he wants to sneak attack and get you out while killing as many people as possible. Now," he said, finishing the last bandage, "I have to go. I'll come back in tomorrow, but I can't raise too much suspicion."

Matt nodded and Nikolas stood, throwing a chocolate chip granola bar onto the bed. The light of the phone disappeared. Matt tore into the bar and watched the door fly open and the raven haired man leave.

'_Mello sent a spy… He'll follow me here and fight to get me out…' _

He didn't know whether to be scared or relieved.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mello flipped the phone open. "What?" he barked through the square of chocolate in his mouth.

"I talked to Matt, gave him the charm and told him the plan," Nikolas replied, wasting no time to get to the point.

"And?"

"He understands. I know a way I can talk to him at night every night and he's willing to give information."

Mello grinned maliciously. "Excellent. We move in two weeks."

The click on the other end signified Nikolas hanging up. Mello tossed the phone aside and stood, stalking across the room to the map of the Seraph's base. He marked the approximate area of where Matt would be held and circled the main meeting room in red marker. He trailed the pen to Thomas's room, and then drew an "X" through the area with a sneer.

"You bet your life, Thomas. I hope you're a gambling man, because I'm coming for you."


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, its characters or any labels mentioned within.**

**AN: So… Late update is late, yeah? I'm so sorry, it doesn't even go into words. I was on writer's block and I just couldn't write. It wasn't working. Please forgive me for the content of the chapter and the lateness of it, I'm so sorry. **

Matt spit blood onto the cold, stone floor. He looked up and sneered at the man before him. What was his name…? Snydar? Stupid prick.

"Unlock the G*****n files you little piece of shit!" Thomas barked, signaling Snydar to hit him again. The blow connected with the redhead's already abused stomach and Matt doubled over, coughing. He looked up with a disgusted sneer and laughed bitterly.

"Never. I won't do shit for you and, no matter how many times you hit me, it won't change," he rasped. Thomas growled.

"That's it. Take him to the back; I want this little fucker broken."

As Matt was hauled away, he felt his stomach drop in fear. That was never a good thing to hear, especially when you were on the receiving end of his father's hand. Matt held a poker face. Rather, he continued to glare and sneer at Thomas with disgust instead of allowing fear to be written all over his features.

Nikolas watched the whole scene. His face was blank; his eyes betrayed a small bit of pity. It was perfect. He was cold, but not cold enough to be a part of a different syndicate. He pitied the boy, but not enough to betray the emotional connection they had forged over the past week.

'_One more week Matt. Stay strong,_' he thought as he watched the redhead get dragged away. The door was locked from the outside.

Nikolas reviewed what he had gotten and sent to Mello. The blonde was yet to reply, but Nikolas knew that their plans were sound. He pulled out his phone and emailed the floor plans that he had managed to get. He knew no one was watching and no one would suspect anything for him using his phone. The device buzzed to alert him of a reply from Mello. He opened it and found a very formal seeming thank you.

One more week and they would move. The scumbags here that were petty excuses for living would be dead and Matt would be safe. Nikolas was surprised at how quickly he'd become attached to the quirky redhead. He was easy to talk to; laid back and carefree in his own way that was easy to fall in line with. He cared about Matt as though he were family.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed from behind the locked door. Nikolas edged closer and called Mello, holding the phone at his side inconspicuously. He knew the blonde would answer. The crack of a whip sounded and a whimper of pain followed.

Nikolas plugged in the blue tooth and turned it on, letting his long hair conceal it. The sound of labored breathing and low growls were sounding through the device and Nikolas was gritting his teeth in preparation for the shouts and curses that were sure to follow.

"You worthless little prick!" The sound of sizzling and a piercing scream emitted from the room. The smell of burning flesh drifted from the cracks in the door.

Nikolas couldn't hang around anymore. It was too much of a risk getting caught and questioned. He walked away and stepped out of the base, lighting a cigarette and taking out the blue tooth. He held the phone a short distance from his ear and took several drags while curses were screamed, shots were taken and objects were shattered.

"What was happening to him?"

Nikolas bit his lip and took another drag. "Well boss… I think Thomas was branding him. They said they were gonna break him because he won't hack into the database for them."

Mello was silent for a deadly second. "Branding… him?" he asked slowly, as though he were challenging his mind to hear the words right.

Nikolas nodded, and then realized that Mello couldn't see the actions. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I don't know what they're gonna do to him boss, but… He won't give anything away. He won't betray you."

Mello barked several orders. Nikolas's eyes widened and he agreed nervously. He shut the phone and looked up at the sky.

"God, Mello, I hope you know what you're doing."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Matt watched the door slam shut. The locks within clicked and Matt involuntarily shrunk away from the man approaching him. He was roughly grabbed from behind and his wrists were cuffed. He cursed and struggled as they were lifted above his head and secured to a metal beam.

The ripping of fabric made Matt lash out wildly. His foot connected with whoever was cutting his shirt off, but both of his legs were caught in the process. They were bound separately and tied to bolts in the floor. Blood staining the rock told Matt that this wasn't the first time someone had been in his position. As the tatters of his shirt were removed, he thought about whether or not he would be the last. He sincerely hoped so.

A scream was torn from his throat as the leather of a whip met his skin. He felt the welt and he knew it would be an angry red that marred his back. He didn't care. The whip was cracked nine more times and with each strike, Matt bit back cries. Blood began to run down the battered flesh that was lacerated with fresh cuts.

Thomas's hand closed around the handle of a poker. The man leisurely stoked the fire until the tip of the rod was red hot. Then he turned and brandished it, allowing Matt to feel the heat that radiated off the poker.

"Will you start cooperating now?" he asked in a falsely sweet tone. Matt laughed darkly and spit in his father's face.

"It's pretty fuckin' pathetic that you have to rely on your son to do shit for you. You should have thought of that before you killed my mother and raped me."

The flat of the rod met Matt's chest. The sound of sizzling was drowned out by a piercing shriek of pain. The stench of burning skin made bile rise in Matt's throat.

'_Oh, God, let this be over. Please let it end,' _he chanted in his head.

In every language he knew, Matt started praying. He focused on something, anything other than the searing agony that came with the whips, the blows, the harsh and intrusive thrusts. He closed his eyes. It didn't exist... It didn't hurt... He remembered watching his mother kneel and fondle the rosary beads. He hoped Mello had saved them.

'_I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth…'_

'_Creo en Dios Padre, Todopoderoso, Creador del cielo y la tierra…' (1)_

'_Ich glaube an Gott den Vater, den Allmächtigen, den Schöpfer des Himmels und der Erde…' (2)_

'_Je crois en Dieu le Père, Tout-Puissant, Créateur du ciel et la terre…' (3)_

'_Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae…' (4)_

'_Я__верю__в__Бога__Отца__, __Вседержителя__, __Творца__неба__и__земли__…' (5)_

'_Io credo in Dio Padre onnipotente, creatore del cielo e della terra…' (6)_

Somewhere locked away in a room, absentmindedly playing with beads that belonged to his lover, Mello prayed in every language he knew for guidance. He didn't want to kill. It was a horrible feeling, just as Matt had said. It was sickening, but it was for Matt and so Mello shoved aside all the hate and anger and sorrow. Anastasia's face appeared in his mind, with her long, silky yellow hair and her soft blue eyes. Her smile brought back rushing memories of the prayer.

'_I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth…' _The Catholic Church he attended with his parents before they died…

'_Я__верю__в__Бога__Отца__, __Вседержителя__, __Творца__неба__и__земли__…' _The Saint Basil Cathedral that he'd visited with L and B…

'_Ich glaube an Gott den Vater, den Allmächtigen, den Schöpfer des Himmels und der Erde…' _The Catholic Church he'd attended once in his parent's homeland…

'_Je crois en Dieu le Père, Tout-Puissant, Créateur du ciel et la terre…' _The Anitbes Cathedral in Nice…

'_私は神の父、全能の神、天のメーカーと地球を信じて' __(7)_ The Urakami Cathedral in Japan that he'd marveled…

Startling blue eyes looked up from their prayer and at the moon that glistened innocently in the sky.

"_I'm coming Mattie… Be strong."_

**AN2: The languages enclosed may or may not be accurate, as I used Google Translate. The languages all translate into the first line of the Apostle's Creed, which is the first prayer in the prayer to the rosary. The numbers mark the languages and are as follows:**

**1: Spanish**

**2: German**

**3: French**

**4: Latin**

**5: Russian**

**6: Italian**

**7: Japanese**

**AN3: These chapters will probably be shorter and for that I apologize sincerely.**


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, its characters or any labels mentioned within. I do own original characters and the plotline.

AN: Ready for angst? How about abuse? Hope so. This is a dark and very disjointed chapter and I'll warn you now, it's graphic. Personally, I'm not sure how I like where it went, but I couldn't stand to write anymore Mattie abuse. Review?

Pain. Oh, God, everything hurt.

Matt blinked his eyes open. His body had gone limp and was being held up by the chains attached to his wrists. His shirt and pants had been shredded and were falling off of his battered frame, leaving nothing to the imagination. Dried blood covered most of his body and was crusted over multiple bruises and cuts.

In the past twenty four hours, he'd been raped, beaten, whipped and burned. He was tired, hungry, thirsty, in pain, drained and dizzy. So when the door opened and someone walked in, all Matt could do was whimper and weakly rattle the shackles around his arms in a vain attempt to get away.

There were no cackling laughs, no jeers at his expense, making Matt wonder just who had come into his room. A single set of footsteps approached, and with every foot closer they got, Matt's breath became more bated. He had to stay strong for Mello, but he wanted so much to break down and beg for mercy. But he wouldn't, not to his father. He would never beg to that man again.

"Matt, are you awake?" a startlingly familiar voice said. Matt weakly lifted his head and peered into the blackness.

"Nikolas?" he rasped after a silence. The man made a noise of affirmation. "What are you doing here…? What's going on?" God, Matt hated sounding so weak. It was horrible how weak and raspy it sounded. His throat felt scratchy and raw.

"I came to check on you. Mello wants to know how you're doing." A small light appeared and Matt read that Nikolas was on the phone with Mello. He'd just put the call on speaker.

Matt swallowed thickly and drew a labored breath. "M-Mello?" he rasped quietly.

"Hey baby. I'm coming soon, you gotta be strong. Are you okay?" It was so nice to hear his voice.

Matt laughed quietly. "That... was a really stupid question," he responded.

"Nice to know you're holding up," Mello shot back, sounding a bit relieved. "Be strong. I'll be there soon."

"You better be. And you better remember that Thomas is mine."

"Of course he's yours. Love you."

"I love you too. Hurry up, please."

The dial tone sounded and Matt looked back up at Nikolas, who was setting his phone on silent. The black haired man looked back up and smiled weakly.

"There's not much else I can do. Now I have to go. You gonna be alright kid?" Matt nodded weakly, feeling his eyes growing heavy once more. He felt Nikolas clap him on the shoulder. The door opened and shut... Falling... Black.

_Pain._ Matt's eyelids fluttered and opened slowly as the sounds of ripping clothes and jeers began to register in his brain. His throat caught fire as a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air. It wasn't until later that he realized that he was the one screaming.

Matt's hips jerked about limply while whoever was standing behind him used his body. He vaguely knew of the tears running down his face and barely registered the blood dripping down his thighs. His screams quickly died to whimpers and groans of agony. He felt as though he were being ripped in half. He could feel his flesh tearing and stinging and burning wildly, causing fire to course through his veins.

Whoever was behind him finished with a growl and an evil-sounding chuckle. Matt whined as the semen burned the cuts and rips on his lower back, then his thighs as it dribbled down. He allowed his muscles to go slack again as the man pulled out of him.

It was far from over. Matt let another groan slip past his lips as he was entered again. He closed his eyes.

'_Mello wouldn't do this... Mello would be_ gentle... _Mello would be_ kind...'

Matt lost count of how many men took their turns. Feelings became lost on him as he forced himself into a state of numbness. He thought again and again of Mello to ease the turmoil and agony searing through his veins.

"Enough." The cold voice cut through the air permeated with pants and swears and whimpers. Matt was suddenly more afraid than before. The fear solidified when the crack of a whip sounded across the room. Each crack got closer...

The whip fell hard across Matt's right cheek. He howled in pain as blood dripped across his pale flesh and into his eye. He tried to blink it out, straining to see something, anything other than red. To no avail.

The whip fell again and again, more on his torso than his face. Somehow, he couldn't really bring himself to be grateful. A fist connected with his stomach, which hurt anyway. But naturally, there were brass knuckles included. Matt doubled over to the best of his ability, whimpering when cuts were pressed and opened all over his torso.

Another hour... Two... Three? Matt didn't know. He couldn't program himself to tell time anymore. He couldn't make himself think anymore. His dignity and pride were in shreds at his feet, mingled with the clothes that had once been his. His mind was on the brink of gone, barely teetering over the edge of sanity.

_Was_ he still sane? Or had he gone over the edge? Or maybe, that he was questioning his own sanity meant that he still had sanity to question. But then, he shouldn't really be questioning himself. Nor should it have escalated to a debate with himself. So he was insane.

But then again, most people who had the ability to think they were insane were usually sane.

Most people hadn't been through what he had.

So _was_ he sane? Would Mello still love him, even if he'd fallen off the edge of sanity? Of course, Mello would love him no matter what, right? Of course. He'd cemented that the night they made love to each other for the first time. Mello had promised him to be there always.

Matt began to lose track of what his father was doing to him. He was aware that a medic bandaged his wounds to stem the bleeding, but it didn't change anything. He was pretty sure that Thomas fucked him... but it might have been phantom sensation. It didn't matter, really. Everything was white and red, getting fuzzy and dark. He was freezing, getting colder by the minute. He couldn't believe that the tears on his face hadn't frozen into place. Perhaps he wasn't aware that it wasn't cold, but that blood loss and emotional trauma made him feel cold.

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing existed. Thoughts weren't there, time wasn't there. Abuse and rape were common and all he was good for. Nothing existed but nightmares and pain. Nightmares and pain...

But Mello would save him, right? He had before. Mello and B and L had saved him and loved him. Where were they? Mello was coming, he knew it. He had heard Mello's voice. Mello had promised that he would be there soon.

Yes, yes latch onto that. Mello was coming, he was coming to save Matt and take him away from here. And Thomas would die and everything would be alright again.

Everything went black. Matt didn't know how long he was unconscious, but when he woke, he was alone. Pain registered in his skull a fraction of a second after hearing and sight did. When his sight registered and he could see, he found the door to be open and light to be streaming through. People were running about and flashes were seen.

Gunshots sounded. They echoed through Matt's skull, making him thrash against the chains holding him up. God, he wished he could cover his ears. Why couldn't he cover his ears? It hurt, it was too loud.

Someone was with him. They were shouting something, but Matt didn't catch it. He saw a flash of blonde behind a gun and everything stopped moving.

Adrenaline and fear pumped into his veins. The pain, gashes, whip marks and bruises were forgotten. The chains fell around him and he snarled viciously. He took the gun that was handed to him and walked straight into the fight. He shot any and every Seraph he saw around Mello, daring anyone to try harming his blonde.

Blue and grey eyes turned to him, wide with shock. Mello shouted his name, but he didn't hear it. He strode past the blonde and pressed their backs together, both shooting off rounds at anyone that tried to stop them.

Matt looked down and shot Snydar, but not before the asshole lodged a pocketknife in his thigh. The pain didn't register as pain, but fire that mixed with adrenaline. He shot the sorry motherfucker in the head and kept walking, pulling the knife from his leg. He used the knife to stab and slash once his gun ran out of ammunition.

They exited the base and Matt ran with Mello to the cars. Halfway there, he dropped with a pain filled cry as the high wore off and the feeling took its place. He screamed when Mello caught him around the waist and pressed the wounds. His screams died to whines and whimpers when Mello picked him up and continued running for the car.

He felt himself being placed on leather seats. He heard Mello barking orders. He felt a blanket cover his body, which he then realized was naked. It seemed like he would have been embarrassed, but... Oh well. Didn't really matter, did it?

He felt hands in his hair. He heard but didn't process sweet nothings that were cooed by the blonde above him. He heard status reports and casualties ticked off. He felt pants being slipped onto his legs. He heard a phone on speaker, ringing. A man answered. Mello barked some more orders. The man affirmed. More orders, more agreements.

He was so tired. He just wanted to sleep...

Everything started to fade.

Of his senses, feeling was the first to go-his body went numb and started to feel light and warm. His sight was next. Everything started to fade and get blurry. He closed his eyes, knowing they were of no more use. His hearing started to fade. Everything blurred together and faded to white static until he was pulled to a warm body.

"Go to sleep, Matt. I've got you, you're safe now. Go to sleep baby," Mello cooed in his ear. And who was he to deny such an angelic voice?

The sound of breathing and a steady heartbeat lulled him as unconsciousness claimed him.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own DN or any labels.

AN: This is a series of six chapters, all of which are short. They all depict what happened on Mello's end of the events Matt endured. They alternate between BB's perspective and Mello's perspective, starting with BB's. I hope you enjoy and all credit for the idea of BB's chapters goes to **Carottal**.

The raven haired man sat in the corner of his bedroom. Mello had gotten them both private rooms, and B had cooped himself up in his room for days. Mello made sure food was brought to him at least twice a day.

Matt was family now. There was no sense in denying it. Mello was family and he loved Matt. L and B had both loved Matt as another son. L...

_I watch him fall. I don't want Mello to die, as he and I had become rather close. There was no easy out. He would die. The numbers, they told me so. The numbers didn't lie. _

_A familiar shag of black hair flies through my vision. Mello is unharmed. The red numbers are flickering again and telling me something else. Something different. They say what they've always said, that he will live for a very long time. But there's pain. Stabbing pain. It hurts a lot, it hurts so much. So much pain. It hurts, you see. It's burning, like someone sliced a wound into my chest and lit the edges on fire. I don't imagine that feels very good at all. _

_But I know it's not real. But it is real. I'm not bleeding, not externally. I am bleeding, of course, for my twin is bleeding. But then, most of you don't have a twin and so you don't understand. It hurts, it hurts, make it stop!_

BB writhed on the ground in pain and agony. Phantom sensation racked his body and made him convulse. His amber eyes were closed and squeezed shut. He was holding onto himself feebly, trying to cover the wound he could have sworn was there. It was a gunshot wound. It was there. It would always be there. Of course.

_I hear gunshots. Mello is killing people. I don't care. I scoop my twin up in my arms and I shriek. I know it's undignified and weak, but my twin is dying. The numbers are slipping, falling fast. The seconds tick away, slipping through my fingers like the crimson blood that might as well be my own. Lawliet is leaving me, he's leaving me here all alone! I don't want to be alone!_

The raven cried on the floor. Tears slipped from his eyes that were tears of anger, sorrow, fear, hatred and mourning. Lawliet had left him all alone, and now he was supposed to help Mello and save Matt and make sure none of them ended up dead and he didn't know if he could do it. Could he do it?

_He's dying. I can see the light leaving those coal black orbs and the numbers keep telling me that he's going away. We'll see each other again, won't we? Lawli, won't we? Don't leave me here alone. _

_I'm screaming. I think I'm screaming. Is it me? I'm talking to Lawli, begging him to stay here with me, but I don't know if he can hear me. Am I screaming? Is Mello screaming?_

_Lawli is talking. He's talking to me, asking about Mello's lifespan. I'll tell him that it's changed again, back to normal and good. He's smiling now. He loves me. I love you too Lawli. Don't leave me. _

Screams echoed through the room. Sobs mixed in. BB screamed and sobbed and allowed tears to cascade down his pale face. No one dared enter his room, not while he was mourning. He allowed all of the emotion that he'd kept inside for Mello's sake to spill over.

_He's... He's gone. The numbers are at zero. His name is gone. No, no no no no! What if I forget his name? I can't forget his name! He's... He's gone. He left me. His body is here, but he's gone. Lawliet left me. I hear screaming again. I think it's me. Mello too, I think. He's crying, I know._

_How long do I sit here crying and screaming? Mello falls asleep, exhausted. I can't bring myself to move him. I think I'll stay here with Lawli. I have to... I can't leave him... _

_It's been hours. I don't know how many, but Mello is waking. Matt is gone. They killed my twin and took Matt. _

_I'll kill them._

The man retched, thinking of the way the corpse had felt in his hands. He ran to the bathroom and lost the contents of his stomach, remembering the moment the man's pulse had faded under his fingers. He had killed. He'd killed a man he didn't even know. What had his name even been? Jose?

But they had killed his twin. If they hadn't killed his twin, they'd have killed his son. Because that's what Mello was. He was a son. And now there were sorry bastards hurting Matt. Mello and Matt were all he had left. They had taken the remainder from him.

With that in mind, BB fell to the bed. He was too exhausted to wash the God-awful taste out of his mouth or undress or even cover himself up. He and Mello were going to get Matt soon; L's death would be avenged...

Whatever sleep he managed to get was still restless and fitful, full of bloody dreams about L dying. They always seemed permeated with his own two hands wrapped around the killer's throat, wringing mercilessly...


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own DN or any labels.

AN: Once again, short chapter. Sorry.

A blonde haired man sat on a tacky sofa in the middle of a hazy room. Cigarette and pot smoke floated across the top of the room, already reeking of sex and alcohol. The only completely sober man in the room was the blonde, who felt that a successful raid of another base was nothing to get drunk over.

No, he needed a clear head. One more week, and he would be risking his own skin as well as everyone else's to save Matt. Nothing could go wrong; everything had to be perfect. Everything had to go according to plan.

He had to save Matt and survive. There was not one thing that could go wrong.

A bloodcurdling scream sounded from a room down the hall. Mello flinched as he recognized BB's sobs. L had died to save him... Mello couldn't begin to imagine how badly it was hurting his other guardian. The set of twins in the room sobered and looked over at Mello.

"Do you think he needs food, boss?" Mello nodded silently and both scrabbled up and went to retrieve food.

Mello's phone vibrated to life. He checked his messages and found a layout of the base he was to be invading soon. He sent back a curt message of thanks to Nikolas. Of everyone here, no one was competent but the twins and Nikolas.

Mello reclined and went over his plan. It was flawless... unless someone fucked up. That was more likely than Mello was comfortable with. But the members here were going to be sober and were scared shitless of him. They wouldn't fuck up.

His phone vibrated again. Picking it up, Mello found it to be a call from Nikolas.

'_Shit... He wouldn't call unless it was something important...' _

Mello answered the phone quickly and pressed it to his ear. There was no need answering with words. There was shuffling and low breathing, talking and laughing, typical sounds. Mello narrowed his eyes and was about to question why the fuck he'd been called, when a shrill, broken scream came through the phone. Mello shot off the couch and to his feet. He sucked in a harsh breath and gritted his teeth. Everyone in the room trained their eyes on him, watching cautiously.

Another, harsher scream came through the phone. Mello pulled it away from his ear with a wince. The eyes focused on the phone and widened at the sound. Mello dropped the phone and screamed profanities, not caring who heard. He shot off rounds into the room, not caring who or what he hit. He stormed through the confined area and flipped objects and tables, trying to sate his need to destroy something.

When he stopped, he was breathing hard. He bent and picked up the phone, knowing that Nikolas would still be there.

"What was happening to him?" he asked in a deadly quiet tone.

"Well boss..." Nikolas hesitated for a fraction of a second. "I think Thomas was branding him. They said they were gonna break him because he won't hack into the database for them."

Mello's entire body froze. His eyes flashed dangerously while his free hand clenched into a fist. Later, he would find that, even through two layers of leather, he'd left little halfmoon indentions on his palm.

"Branding... Him." he said heavily. The words left an ugly taste in his mouth and his brain didn't want to comprehend them, didn't want to believe they were true, but Mello knew that Nikolas wouldn't lie about something like that. He liked his testicles too much.

"Yeah." Nikolas's voice was quiet, concerned, and Mello realized that the raven and his Mattie must have grown close in the past week. It would make sense. Matt was so easy to get along with. "I don't know what they're gonna do to him boss, but... He won't give anything away. He won't betray you."

Ideas turned over in Mello's head. They were branding Matt, which meant that they were resorting to extreme measures to get what they wanted. He knew Matt would rather die than beg at the hands of his father.

One week was too long, Mello decided. They would kill him by that time, surely.

He couldn't-_wouldn't_-wait that long.

"Alright, you sorry sack of shitheads, sober up! Get the fucking whores off of your laps and get down to business. We move in two days! Nikolas, stay put and don't give anything away. We'll be arriving at two am, exactly as planned."

"O-Okay boss." Mello closed the phone. He didn't care that everyone was hesitant to obey, they would. They would obey him no matter what.

Anyone in the room could tell he wasn't in the mood to be crossed.

"Get BB. _Now."_


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own DN, characters, or labels.

AN: This is a much longer chapter and I'm actually rather pleased with it. Thoughts? Drop a review!

Beyond Birthday stood slowly and stumbled over to the door. The incessant knocking had to stop, damn it. Why couldn't they leave him to mourn in peace?

He flung the door open. Standing in the door-frame and looking at him nervously, a small and squirming excuse for a man was waiting. It wasn't hard to tell that he was just another random coke addict.

"H-Hey, the boss wants to see you," the poor man stuttered.

"Right _now_," a feral snarl sounded from down the hall. B's eyes widened and he lumbered from the room, finding the meeting room and locking eyes with his blonde ward.

"Hey, look which psychopath decided to join in," a man sneered from across the room. Amber eyes watched the man take a joint offered to him. BB stalked over to the man with malice in his eyes.

_You want to see psychopath? I'll give you psychopathic you sorry motherfucker..._

B took the joint from between the speaker's fingers and took a deep hit, holding while he leaned down to eye level with the man.

_'I can give you the psycho you want to see..._' he thought, looking the man over. _'Mello, forgive me, but I think I might just kill this man. He hasn't done anything, but, right now, I just want that feeling I got from seeing Jose's numbers drop. I don't care if he deserves it.' _

_Wait... No... I hate it. I hate that feeling; I don't want to kill anyone except for Lawli's killer..._

B exhaled and blew the smoke across the man's face. He leaned in close and brushed his lips against the man's ear, reveling in the shudder he got.

"You want to see psychopath... I can show you psychopath. Don't cross me, you sorry little shit, because I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Th-The boss won't let you kill me," he stuttered, looking over to Mello for confirmation. Mello in turn glanced at Rod, who was watching the whole scene with a glint of amusement.

_Mello and I control everything here. If I want to kill you, no one will stop me. _

"You're expendable," the blonde stated, almost lazily. The man's eyes widened near impossibly and B tilted his head, letting a manic grin grace his face.

"Do you hear that? You're _expendable_. I could kill you right now... who would care?" The man started to shake uncontrollably. "Beg for forgiveness."

_Am I going insane? L always kept me sane. Perhaps I'm having too much fun with this... But it's so funny... But he'll die anyway in two days... Lots of people in here will die in two days. What happens in two days?_

"Beyond, I know you're having fun. But we have important matters to face right now. You can play with your food later." Mello tossed a cell phone to BB, who caught it with deft fingers. "There's a recording in the messages that you need to listen to."

B's nimble fingers snapped the phone open and began working through the menus and messages. He found the recording Mello was referring to (as it was the only one listed) and played it, pressing the phone against his cranium.

_Mello wouldn't call me out here for no good reason. There's obviously something wrong, something going on that needs to be addressed... But what...?_

_There's nothing special about this recording except for white static. Shuffling, talking... What is this?_

The chilling scream came through the speaker and B's eyes widened. His thumb went straight to his lips as his mind went into overdrive.

_That's Matt, there's no questioning it. They're doing something to Matt..._

Whip cracks and more screams came through the phone. With every sound, B's body grew more and more tense. He went rigid when he heard more shuffling and moving.

The conversation that passed had BB's body going cold and stiff, almost as though he had died.

_Branding... They're branding him. If they're resorting to such extreme measures so soon, then they'll kill him. Nikolas is right. He won't break. They'll kill him before the week is up._

BB looked at Mello and they locked eyes. B knew that Mello was thinking the same thing. B didn't realize how hard he was holding the phone until the plastic gave way and crushed under the pressure of his fingers.

_Matt cannot die._

"We're sticking with the original plan, but we move in two days. I don't need anyone fucking this up, so do I need to go over the plan again?"

_No Mello, you don't. I know exactly how the plan goes, but it won't work. We'll be caught. One of your subordinates will mess something up. _

Beyond shook his head. "Mello, are you sure the plan will work? Perhaps we should just go in guns blazing and get him."

"Beyond, that will not work. We're risking our skins as it is and if we do that too many people here will die. We need the minimum number of casualties. We're risking too much as it is. Secretly infiltrating the base is better."

Beyond ducked his head and nodded. "I understand," he said quietly before turning and heading back to his room.

"Aw, is our favorite psycho leaving us?" the man from earlier taunted. Beyond turned and stalked to the brunette, clenching his long, bony hands into fists. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

_Yes, I'm leaving. And you're leaving too._

"H-Hey, get the fuck away from me!" he cried, scrambling off of the couch and back into the corner. Beyond followed with a snarl building in this throat.

"Beyond," Mello chastised. Beyond let loose the feral snarl that had Mello closing his lips and raising his eyebrows.

"G-Get away from me you sick freak!"

Beyond let loose a cackle that border lined on murderous. The brunette's eyes widened at the sound.

"But didn't you hear Mello? You're _expendable_. No one here would care if you died. And the voices, the voices are telling me that they don't like you." The man's eyes widened impossibly again.

_That's right. Be afraid, believe that I hear voices. The only voice here is my own, but oh, I still want to kill you. And I will. But I'll torture you first because it's so much fun._

"Voices? What the fuck, psychopath!" The sorry brunette tried to run, only to have B's hand close around his arm and slam him back into the wall with resounding force. He wrapped his hand around the man's throat and squeezed gently, taking great sadistic pleasure in the choked gasps that followed.

"Psychopath? Have I gone crazy? Am I a psycho?" B mused aloud, grinning like a maniac. Both of his hands dropped to his sides before coming back up quickly and snapping the bones in his neck. The body crumpled to the ground and BB hunched over and stared down at it with manic eyes. He let loose a high, shrieking cackle and turned to the room. Everyone was looking at him in fear except for Mello, who looked bored.

"I was going to use him," he mumbled to the otherwise silent room, then brushed it off with a wave of his hand. He stood and ambled out of the room, B following and walking along side him.

"Mello, I don't think it's going to work," B said seriously. "There are too many chances for it to go wrong. These incompetent fools don't know what they're doing."

"Precisely B. They're pawns. They're expendable, like that asshole you just killed. You can't make that a habit, by the way. Now, you and I are the ones going inside once they create a sufficient distraction. I expect them to fuck up and draw attention, which gives us the opening to get in, get Matt and Nikolas and get out. Not that they know that, and they _won't_ know that, I'm sure."

B cracked a large grin that bared his teeth. "You are brilliant Mello. Have I ever told you that?"

Mello smirked smugly and stopped at the door of his room. "You have, but it doesn't hurt to hear it more."

"Oh go on, you arrogant ass," B chided lightly, shoving Mello through the door and stalking down the hallway to his own room.

_Hmm... Mello has a good plan... I wonder how it will work... _

_L wouldn't have approved. _

_No! I can't afford to think about him now. Not when we're so close._

B opened his computer and began accessing the files Mello had sent him. He copied the maps and analyzed them, dedicating the marked rooms to memory. He quickly located the holding chambers and shuddered, not wanting to think about the horrors within.

_Mello and I enter_ here... _Once the distraction is made over_ here...

B punctuated his inner musings by tracing the map on the screen of his laptop with the tip of his finger.

_We go through_ here _and_ _dispose of anyone we meet... To Nikolas's room over_ here, _where he'll be 'sleeping'... He takes us to the holding cell_ here...

_Mello, I hope you know what you're doing. _

With that thought, B laid down in his bed. He turned over and felt his face press against something slightly chilled and damp. Lifting his head, he saw tearstains on the pillowcase as proof of his previous mourning.

_Lawliet... I miss you..._


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own DN, characters or labels.

AN: So, this is the fourth in the series of six. The second of Mello's perspective chapters. As always, I'd like thoughts and feedback.

Mello sat in his bedroom and typed away at his computer. He sent all the files and maps to BB and worried his lip. Nothing could go wrong.

Or nothing could go _right_. Depends on how you think about it. Either way, Mello never thought he would be depending on someone's stupidity.

He never thought he'd be a mafia boss either. Nor did he think he would ever kill someone. Nor did he ever think he'd fall in love.

Everything he never expected to happen, _happened_.

Mello growled and rubbed his temples furiously. Damn, he was giving himself a headache from thinking like that. Standing, he stumbled over to his bed and fell down on the covers, pulling the ratty material over his shoulders and clenching his eyes shut.

Restless, nightmare ridden sleep overtook him.

_The seven year old leaned around the seats, looking for his parents. Why weren't they answering?_

_Blood was everywhere. Blue eyes were wide open, staring but not seeing. Mihael screamed with sheer terror._

"_Hey, there's a kid in here! He's still alive!" Mihael heard over his shrieks._

"_Get the Jaws!" another voice cried. Mihael shrank away from the voices. Tears began to track down his face as he looked once more into Anastasia's face. She was dead. _

"_No! Let me go!" Mihael cried against the hand over his mouth. When the searing pain didn't cease, he closed his eyes and willed everything to go blank. _

_He was in his bed. Matt was there with him, curled into his side and practically glowing with the aftermath of the earth-shattering orgasm Mello had just given him. The blonde sighed in content, holding the redhead tighter and starting to close his eyes..._

_Only to snap them back open when arms that most definitely weren't Matt's wound around his body and roughly forced him out of the bed. He watched helplessly as ropes snaked around Matt's wrists and he struggled wildly against an unseen force when Matt turned panicky eyes to him. The redhead's body started to thrash wildly on the bed, as though he were in agony. Mello couldn't pinpoint the source of his lover's turmoil, but he struggled against his own invisible captors. _

_Matt opened his mouth and screamed. Welts and cuts began to appear and blood began to ooze from the wounds while an ominous cackle sounded through the room. A familiar voice cut through the shrieks._

"_What's the matter Keehl? Does it hurt to watch him suffer and know you can't stop it? Because you can't. He belongs to me. He'll _always _belong to me."_

_Matt shrilled and writhed, tears tracking down his face while invisible hands brandished whips and knives. _

"_NO!" Mello screamed, struggling harder than ever._

The blonde shot out of his bed, holding the knife he kept under his pillow. His body was coated in cold sweat and the leather he'd neglected to take off the night before was clinging to him horribly. When he looked around and recognized his surroundings, he dropped the knife and began stripping himself of the leather. The sweat had dampened his hair and was thick on his brow. Thick enough that Mello could pretend that it was sweat, not tears tracking down his cheeks. When he peeled the last of the offensive material off, he stood in the room naked, then sighed heavily. He wouldn't be sleeping again, not after a dream like that

He walked with heavy steps to the bathroom attached to his room. He turned the water to scalding, the way he usually did, before rethinking the decision and turning it to lukewarm. When he got in the tub, he sat in the corner and pulled his knees up to his chest, letting the water cascade down his back and slowly force the tense muscles to relax. He wrapped his arms around himself and let his head fall forward, allowing himself the luxury of a few more tears. Today was going to be a long day...

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Mello," Beyond said cautiously. "Perhaps you should retire."

The blonde shot his caretaker a warning glare that melted from his face when he met pained amber eyes. He sighed and almost allowed himself to go limp before remembering that he needed to keep a strong demeanor around these men.

"You're right, B," he said quietly, standing and (unfortunately) drawing the attention of the room.

"I'm going to my room," he barked. "No one is to disturb me unless _absolutely_ necessary. Even then, send B to get me." Everyone nodded and went back to what they were doing.

Mello stalked to his room while suppressing a yawn. Surely his behavior hadn't been _that_ bad...

A glance at the clock told Mello that he'd been up for a little over twenty eight hours. It was 2 pm... He would sleep the day away and that night, they'd go and get Matt.

Despite his exhaustion, physical and mental, sleep continued to evade him. He laid in his bed fitfully, tossing and turning and trying to make himself comfortable, all to no avail. When he managed to fall asleep, the same nightmare that had plagued him the night before entered his mind and had him tossing and turning and shrieking into his pillows through all hours of the day.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mello crouched and checked his belt. He had two extra clips for his gun. He felt the familiar weight of his hunting knife pressed against his thigh and he gripped the handle. These weren't pawns that deserved quick deaths by bullet. They were Matt's tormentors and they deserved painful deaths. The steel of his blade would be stained with crimson elixir when he was finished.

Beyond was crouched beside him, itching with the need to kill. He was bouncing on his heels, gripping the gun in his hand and staring at the building before them.

"Beyond, you know the plan. We can't move yet. If we go in now, we're likely to get hurt at the _least._ Maybe even killed. I know you want to kill them... so do I. But we have to wait."

"Mello, I don't want to wait. How long is it going to take them to fuck up?"

Mello peered around the car they were crouched behind and watched the members try to sneak around the building. Most of them were strung out or stoned beyond belief, just the way Mello wanted them. Several stumbled and fell and started shaking uncontrollably, making the blonde roll his eyes. Christ, they were annoying.

"I don't know how long it'll take... but most of them shot up right before we left. They're stupid and high; it shouldn't take too long."

B sighed in frustration and tried to still himself. His grip loosened slightly on the gun and he allowed his head to loll on his shoulders. Mello simply grit his teeth and kept watching.

With a growl, B fired randomly at the abandoned building. Mello jumped at the sound and twirled on his heels to see the raven charging into the street for the building Matt was in. Several Seraphs came outside and started firing at his members of the Nephilim, causing Mello to curse.

"Damn it, B!" he yelled, racing after the trigger happy man and straight into a warzone.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: (do I really have to do one for every chapter?) I don't own DN or any labels.

AN: We are nearing the end of the little sequence of alternating chapters. I hope you all enjoyed, as the regular chapters will be starting again soon.

Beyond followed Mello out of the door and to one of the black SUV's that was waiting for them. They climbed into the back and B stocked the ammo he needed for his gun. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to believe that he'd use it all that much. The place they were to wait was already set up and there were more cars waiting for them.

But B didn't want to wait. Lawliet's killer might be dead, but the man who had caused him and his family so much pain still lived.

So when he found himself crouched behind the car, staring at something that was so close and yet so horribly far away and being told by his own ward that he was to wait, he reevaluated.

_I am Mello's guardian and I am the elder of the two of us. We both have an even score to settle. He may not want to do it the dirty way, but it's the only way..._

He squeezed the trigger and watched chaos unfold. The Nephilim members went on edge and started looking around, waiting for the unseen gunman. Seraphs spilled from the building, guns drawn, and began shooting at the exposed members. An all-out firefight started. B saw Mello whip around to look at him and didn't miss the icy glare that was sent his way.

_Ah shit, Mello knows it was me. Oh well, I'll suffer the consequences later. For now, I'm going to get my son._

B ran into the street, ignoring Mello's calls from behind him. He dodged behind cars and shot at the gang members that got in his way, Mello hot on his heels. They fought their way into the base and nearly ran head on into Nikolas, who was killing members of the Nephilim and shouting for Mello to follow. They ended up in a large hallway, Mello engaged in a firefight while B used anything he could get his hands on to brutally murder anyone who got in his way.

_Where the hell is Matt? I said that I hated this feeling, but it's so much fun... I love it so much. To watch them die like this and_ know _that_ I _did it..._

A shudder rippled through B. He grabbed a discarded knife and went down to all fours, lunging and slashing and stabbing and cackling. Death came swiftly to most, though B would occasionally stab someone and leave them bleeding. Thomas came into view.

_Mello, Matt, I'm sorry. I'll try not to kill him. But this fucker is coming home with us._

B took off running, holding a lead pipe and a pocketknife. He heard screams and saw people, but it didn't matter. He ignored Mello calling after him and the call of the redhead's name that echoed soon after. He ran after the brown haired man with malice glinting in his eyes.

B threw the pocketknife and watched in satisfaction when the blade lodged itself in Thomas's back. It wasn't near anything important, nor would it be fatal unless the wound wasn't treated, and B would make sure to prolong this bastard's life as long as possible.

Thomas turned and swung at B, who dropped to a crouch and lunged at his legs. He took Thomas to the floor, but the brunette threw his body forward and landed on top of B. The raven grunted and rolled, taking Thomas to the floor below him. During the tussle, he dislodged the knife and slashed at Thomas's throat, only to have the man catch his wrist. He twisted it and caused B to lose control of the knife. Thomas kicked B off of his body and when the amber eyed man landed, he kicked wide and sent the knife skittering across the pavement. He went back into a defensive crouch and watched Thomas pull himself to upright.

Thomas launched his body at B, who dropped to his stomach. The insomniac reared up once Thomas's body had sailed over his and turned on the balls of his feet, pushing himself at the man's back. His lanky form landed hard on the brunette's, knocking the breath out of the mafia boss. Beyond wrapped his arms tightly around the man's throat and caught him in an arm bar, pulling him up in an uncomfortable arch.

Thomas struggled futilely as spots began to appear in his vision. When he felt his body start failing, he went limp before throwing his own body back against the raven's. Beyond grunted as he was thrown backwards, temporarily dazed. Thomas shot to his feet and lunged for his knife. Beyond reached down and pulled out the six shot revolver that was strapped to his ankle, pulling it up blindly and shooting off three rounds.

Beyond looked around and found a trail of blood leading around a corner. He stood and followed the trail, hefting his gun and narrowing his amber eyes.

A piercing howl of agony rang through the air. Beyond snapped around, recognizing the scream as Matt's. He ran back in the direction of where the cars were stationed.

_I'll get that sorry son of a bitch, one day I'll get him... _

B pulled the hatch on the back of the SUV. He jumped in the back and slammed the door shut, turning and leaning over the seat Mello was in while the stench of burning rubber filled his nose.

A sharp gasp was sucked through his teeth at the sight of Matt's broken body. Blood was seeping from multiple wounds.

There was a stab wound on his thigh that was rough and jagged, obviously made from a pocketknife. There were whip and burn marks everywhere, perforated by tiny cuts and bite marks. He was lying on the seat with his head cradled in Mello's arms. There were bruises shaped as chain links where he had been held in the air by his wrists.

_They tormented him, raped him, whipped him, and burned him. He was stabbed in the thigh, probably during the fight. He probably has multiple bones that are fractured, though none are broken. He's suffered from blood loss, dehydration and malnourishment. He also seems to be lacking needed rest. _

"Go to sleep, Matt. I've got you, you're safe now. Go to sleep baby," Mello cooed in the redhead's ear while calls and arrangements made for medical attention. The naked redhead was covered by a throw blanket and cradled in Mello's lap, where his eyes fluttered shut and he fell asleep.

B clambered over the back of the seat and sat next to Mello, pulling Matt's legs into his lap. They used the basic first aid kit to sterilize and bandaged the major wounds, if only to stop the bleeding. When they were finished, Mello's rounded on B.

"Okay, before I let myself get pissed that you fucked everything up, where the hell were you?"

B bit his lip in shame. "I went into the fight and sort of... lost control."

Mello pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many people did you kill?"

Beyond shrugged before continuing. "I was going to help you get Matt, but I saw Thomas. So I ran after him and fought him. I was going to knock him out and bring him back with us, but he managed to get away."

Mello sighed heavily. "Alright... Are you hurt?" Beyond shook his head. "Good."

The back of Mello's gloved hand connected with Beyond's face, sending him sprawling backwards against the seat. He lifted his hand to cradle his injured cheek and sat up with some difficulty.

"Okay, yeah, I deserved that," he mumbled.

"You're damn right you deserved that. What the hell were you thinking, turning the whole place into an all out war zone?"

"It was the only way we could safely get Matt out of there. If we had waited long enough for your little subordinates to get inside and create a diversion, then we never would have gotten inside. I created a legitimate diversion and the three of us got out alive!"

Mello opened his mouth to retort before sighing. "You're right. Let's just get back to the base."

_I'm sorry Mello. I did what my gut said was right... L would have been mad at me too. But I did what I had to in order to get Matt back to safety. Actually... I'm not sorry. _

_You may never realize it, but I did what was right._


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own DN, yeah yeah...

AN: Here we are! After this, the chapters return to normal and cover everyone's perspective. Review, yeah? -So... I realized that I neglect to properly thank and give credit to my awesome Beta. She is Cassandra106 and she rules!

Mello slashed and dodged with his hunting knife. Blood stained his leather, his hair, his skin... The world was painted red.

Damn Beyond, fucking everything up. He just _had_ to get trigger happy and turn the whole place into a war-zone. Although, it did make everything easier. Mello took down two thugs at the door and burst through a passageway into a hallway. He saw Nikolas dashing down the hallway and through a door into a dark room. He turned and backed towards the room, engaging in firefights galore.

He heard gunshots and saw everything around him like he was in slow motion. He took out everyone in front of him and turned to see Nikolas cutting the chains and yelling something at Matt. But the redhead wasn't watching. His intense green eyes were locked on Mello's.

Mello continued fighting and managed to take in the damage done to Matt's naked body. There were whip marks, cuts, burns, scratches, bite marks and dried blood. He was covered in bruises, especially around his wrists. His hands were a startling shade of light blue that alerted Mello to the fact that blood circulation had been cut off.

What startled Mello the most was that Matt took the gun Nikolas handed him and strode past Mello with steely eyes. He felt Matt's back press against his and more blood seeped through the leathers. Mello shook the shock off and turned with Matt, fighting his way out of the base. Matt was behind him, shooting and killing and running like he wasn't gravely injured. Out of the corner of his eye, Mello saw someone lodge a knife in Matt's thigh. Matt looked down with a wicked smile and dislodged the knife, shooting the man on the ground.

When they broke through the doors, Mello and Matt ran side by side to the black SUV waiting for them. Halfway there, Matt gave a cry and collapsed. Mello turned and caught him, pulling him up to his chest and cradling him while continuing to the car.

As he climbed into the backseat and laid Matt out across the seats, Mello heard the back hatch open and close. Sparing a glance back, he found it to be Beyond, who leaned over the seat and looked at Matt's body. Calls and arrangements were made while Matt curled around Mello's stomach. The blonde stroked the bloody locks in his lap and murmured comforting words in Matt's ear until the boy fell asleep.

Beyond clambered over the seats and took Matt's legs into his lap. Together, they wrapped the more serious wounds.

"Okay, before I let myself get pissed that you fucked everything up, where the hell were you?"

B bit his lip and looked down. "I went into the fight and sort of... lost control."

Mello sighed and bowed his head, kneading his forehead. "How many people did you kill?"

Beyond shrugged. "I was going to help you get Matt, but I saw Thomas. So I ran after him and fought him. I was going to knock him out and bring him back with us, but he managed to get away."

'_Well, at least his intentions were in the right place...'_

The blonde sighed and asked if B was hurt. When the raven negated the notion, Mello backhanded him hard across the face. The raven struggled to sit up and Mello felt a pang of guilt. He quickly pushed it down when he saw B raise a hand to his cheek.

"Okay, yeah, I deserved that." Mello went on to rant about the dangers of what B had done, yelling and raging. The raven stared at him evenly until he was done, then argued his case. Mello half listened, but a nagging in the back of his mind told him that his mentor was correct and that Matt was more deserving of his immediate attention. So he resigned and leaned back, threading his fingers through the red hair resting on his thighs instead.

When they arrived at the base, Mello slid from the vehicle. BB lifted Matt's torso off of the seat and gently handed him to Mello, who carried him inside bridal style.

Paths were cleared as Mello marched into the base. He went down the hallways to his private room, where the doctor was waiting.

Once inside and on the bed, Matt was given excessive doses of morphine to keep him unconscious and from moving. His entire body, barring his head, was doused in rubbing alcohol and scrubbed thoroughly to avoid any kind of infection.

The larger cuts and wounds were stitched and wrapped. The smaller cuts were glued together with medical glue. His torso was bound tightly to mend the fractured ribs. The stab wound on his thigh was stitched and the verdict passed that Matt shouldn't be walking for several weeks. Burn cream was applied and the burns were bandaged.

"You should take him to a cleaner environment. I'll give you enough medical supplies to sufficiently heal him over the course of the next six weeks or so. I'll also give you saline solutions to keep him hydrated and enough morphine to keep him unconscious for a week."

Mello thanked the doctor, took the supplies and sat on Matt's bed. He watched his beloved's chest rise and fall evenly.

He made his decision shortly after and left the room, strutting into the main room with a chocolate bar in his hand. Chaos unfurled.

"What the hell?"

"You _knew_ that lots of us would die!"

"You _wanted_ us to die!"

Mello stood silently with a stone cold glare. He watched and listened without interrupting. All the while, he munched on his chocolate bar while allowing himself to be slightly bemused. They were upset with him, but still too scared to draw their guns.

"Enough!" The room went quiet at the demand. Rod sat on a couch with a girl on either side of him.

"Listen you slobs. Yeah; we all knew that you might die. You knew it too! Now, show some fucking respect. In the weeks he's been here, he's carried us further than any of you ever did. He's just like his father and you will respect him the way you respect me.

"Now, we killed two birds with one stone tonight and he helped us with it. Everyone here_ knew_ the risks of going on this mission and if you're _afraid_ of the danger, you shouldn't have joined. Now, everyone here that's afraid of dying, raise your hands."

A few hands went up, only to drop when gunshots rang out. Rod sat behind the smoking gun and looked around.

"Anyone else?" he challenged. No one answered and Rod smirked. "Good," he said, placing his gun beside him.

"Boss," one man piped up. "You knew you would lose a lot of men letting him do this. Why let him?"

Rod gave a wolf-ish grin. "Because it's entertaining."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mello drove his bike back to a penthouse apartment that Whammy had arranged. Behind him was B in Matt's Chevelle, with the still unconscious Matt in the backseat. It had been four days since Mello had rescued Matt and until that day, he hadn't been stable enough to be moved.

Mello had spent the first day on Matt's bed with him. The redhead had continuous nightmares. He would start whimpering and shaking and thrashing about and Mello would pull him up into his lap and rock him gently, cooing in his ear until the shaking subsided.

The bandages were changed three or four times a day. Matt had yet to get any infections, but Mello still cleaned the wounds methodically. The morphine supply had three days left, and Mello intended to use the drug to keep his lover from being in pain. Though, he decided to spread it over more time than was recommended by the doctor. He _needed _Matt to wake up so he could hear that beautiful voice.

BB hauled Matt out of the car and they entered the lobby. When they went to the desk to retrieve their key, a strange look was given by the girl at the desk. Mello simply took the key and smiled, stating that Matt had had too much to drink. The girl nodded and handed the key over, wishing them a nice night.

When they arrived at the penthouse suite, Watari was waiting at the door. The medical supplies needed for Matt were already set up. Mello attached the IV tube to the bag of saline solution and injected a small dose of morphine into the tube. He then sat by the bed and watched.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Awareness came slowly. First it was feeling. A dull throbbing, like there should have been pain there, but it was being smothered. Thirst registered, and the shuddering breaths in the back of his throat made the flesh there burn.

Sound. Raspy breaths were being taken. It was another second before he realized that those breaths were his. He could hear blood rushing in his ears and the sound of a faint heartbeat. More steady, even breaths were being taken somewhere else in the room. Whoever was with him was listening to music.

Smell. He could smell rubbing alcohol and bleach, along with the distinct aroma of chocolate.

Matt finally forced his eyes open. They fluttered uselessly for several seconds, before cracking open. Matt hissed at the harsh, intrusive light and shut his eyes tightly again. The sound of someone scrabbling over to the edge of the bed reached Matt's ears and a warm hand was placed on his chest.

"Mattie, are you awake?" an achingly familiar voice asked. Matt blinked his eyes open to find an angelically pale face leaning over him, blocking out the light. Matt's eyes adjusted to the light and he opened them fully, staring into the blue and grey eyes watching him.

"The light..." he croaked, hoping Mello would understand. The blonde jumped to his feet and ran to the light switch, dimming the harsh lighting in the room until the only light was from the curtains and television. He rushed back to Matt's side and sat on the edge of the bed, clutching Matt's hand in his. The redhead squeezed Mello's fingers feebly.

"How do you feel?" Mello murmured in Matt's ear, lying down so he was curled protectively around the redhead without agitating his injuries.

"Like crap," Matt gasped. "Water..."

Mello took a cup of ice chips and placed some on Matt's tongue. "Your system can't handle too much water yet, because of the painkillers, but this should help."

Matt took the cup and went through most of the ice, savoring the feel of the water. He smiled weakly up at Mello and tried to give him the Styrofoam cup, only to have it drop to the ground from his shaking hands. Mello caught it before ice could go sprawling across the floor. Matt mumbled an apology that Mello brushed off.

"Where am I...? What happened...?" Matt asked slowly. Mello worried his lip and sat on the bed, petting Matt's hair gently.

"You still need rest and you have lots of injuries. I have you on morphine right now. I'll tell you everything you want to know, and I promise that you're safe here, but... right now you should go back to sleep."

Matt was lulled to slumber by the fingers in his hair and the soft humming of the blonde above him. After all, who was he to deny such an angelic voice?


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own DN. I own plot and original characters. Hear that? It's the sound of not giving a fuck.

AN: The place mentioned at the end of this chapter is a real place and will become relevant, and was inspired by Cassandra106. :D

"_You can't walk. Not for about a month."_

"_I... what? You're serious?"_

"_Yeah. During the fight you got stabbed. The doc said you shouldn't walk until the stitches come out."_

Matt replayed the conversation with his blonde lover in his head. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of not walking for a month. As it was, he was irritated with everything that was going on. He didn't like that Watari had to bring him food and that he needed support to go to the bathroom. He did, however, enjoy that Mello had to take showers with him.

Not that Mello would have sex with him. Matt knew deep down that he wasn't ready, and Mello was sure about it, no matter how much Matt denied it.

That was irritating. Good God, he wanted to have sex with Mello so badly. But the blonde was right, he wasn't ready. Even if he was looking up into Mello's eyes, he was terrified of the pain he knew was coming.

Watari knocked gently and opened the door, wheeling in a cart that had a heaping plate of spaghetti. Matt instantly dug in, slurping down the noodles messily.

"Good lord, Whammy, I never get tired of your cooking."

"Thank you, Master Matt. I always enjoyed cooking for L and B..." The sentence trailed off sadly and Matt sobered instantly.

He remembered Mello laying there beside him, fighting tears as he told Matt about his lost guardian. L had died and it was all his fault...

"Do not place the blame upon yourself, Master Matt. L died for a noble cause."

"Yeah..." Matt sighed, unable to lift the weight of the guilt from his chest and shoulders. Then he looked up as a thought occurred to him. He hadn't seen the blonde or the raven all day. "Do you know where Mello and B went off to?"

"Well, I believe that they went back to the base. They had a rather large bag full of explosives."

Matt's eyes widened. "They're going to... blow the base?"

"Well, that's what I'm afraid of. They are tying off all loose ends," Watari said calmly. Matt sighed and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes and trying to relax. He tried not to think about Mello and BB being trapped in that horrible place, rigged to blow.

The thoughts wouldn't leave him alone as he drifted into a restless sleep.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mello quietly shut the door and opened his laptop. He glanced at his sleeping lover and smiled, resisting the urge to go and brush the mahogany hair from his forehead. Instead, he turned and pulled up the detonation sequence and pattern.

He didn't need the Mafia anymore. Many were still rather upset with him for outright risking their hides, but he didn't care. He had to tie all lose ends and make sure that no vengeful Mafia assholes were after him or Matt.

Because he couldn't lose Matt again. He _wouldn't_ lose Matt again.

He heard a soft moan coming from the bed. He tilted his head and listened for a moment, hearing soft whimpers and the rustling of sheets. He turned and saw Matt twitching on the bed and shaking slightly, whining softly.

Mello silently rushed to the edge of the bed and climbed on slowly. Matt's nightmares hadn't faded nor ceased in the week since he'd woken. The nightmares were graphic and violent and if he wasn't woken soon enough, he ran the risk of injuring himself. The presence or touch of a human being didn't help either. Both would send him into a panic mode and he would writhe and thrash in attempts to get away.

Mello crawled across the bed and laid his hand gently on Matt's shoulder. He lifted his hands to rest them on the redhead's arms, slowly applying pressure while Matt's tremors calmed. He lifted his leg and straddled the redhead, leaning down so their torsos were brushing. He let his lips lay butterfly kisses on Matt's cheeks, forehead, lips and nose.

Green irises gently began to flutter. Matt panicked and his hands flew up to the wrists holding his shoulders down. When a familiar and reassuring voice cooed next to his ear, he relaxed and went limp, sobbing quietly. Mello lifted his hands and placed them on either side of Matt's shoulders, pulling his legs up and lying with his weight pressed against Matt. The redhead wrapped his arms around Mello's torso and buried his face in the blonde's neck.

"I'm awake, Mels," he mumbled, knowing of the blonde's hesitation to release him. He'd made that mistake once, accidentally allowing Matt to grab at Mello and claw in a vain attempt to protect himself. Upon hearing his lover's words, Mello shifted off of Matt's body and laid on his back, allowing the redhead to curl up beside him and nestle his head on Mello's shoulder. The blonde pressed his cheek to the burgundy locks below him and secured his arms around the thin shoulders.

"I've got you Matt, I'll keep you safe. You aren't there anymore, you're here with me." Mello chanted the sweet nothings while gently stroking Matt's hair, tangling his fingers in the locks and massaging the roots. The redhead curled into his side and nuzzled Mello until the tears stopped.

Matt lifted his head weakly, looking up at Mello. The blonde looked down at him, concern etched in his features.

"Watari said that you and B went to the base... with explosives," Matt said with a yawn. Mello tensed for a second before relaxing again.

"Yes. The mafia isn't needed anymore and I can't take the risk of them coming after us."

Matt glanced at the laptop across the room and narrowed his eyes, studying the detonation sequence and the patterns of the explosives.

He lifted his torso off of the bed and dragged his legs to the edge. Mello walked around the edge of the mattress and lifted Matt into his arms, making the redhead yelp and blush. He carried the boy to the desk and sat down in the chair, shifting Matt into his lap. The redhead sighed and studied the pattern more thoroughly, eventually deciding that he liked it.

"How do you know everyone will be at the base?"

Mello smirked, making an involuntary shudder run down Matt's spine. "Simple. I'll send a mass text message saying that B and I have Thomas and are bringing him in. They'll all get their asses there immediately, thinking they can have a go with that sick bastard. But B and I won't be there. They start texting me, asking where the fuck I am, and I hit the switch."

Matt turned in Mello's lap to look at him. A wicked grin made itself known on those sinful red lips. "You're so cruel sometimes... I love you so much."

Mello caught Matt's lips in a fierce kiss, contrasting the hands gently ghosting over his sides. Matt shuddered and pressed himself closer to the blonde, shifting and grinding his hips down against Mello's. Both moaned into the kiss.

Mello lifted Matt's legs, shifting them so that the redhead was straddling him. He picked him up and carried him to the bed, laying him on his bed. The way the sheets jostled his stitches brought a pained look on his features.

Mello lifted himself onto his hands and looked down into Matt's eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"The stitches... they hurt," Matt said with a grimace. Mello sat up and brushed his hands around Matt's hair, fanning the mahogany locks across the pillow. Matt felt his eyes closing against his will at the feel of his hair being stroked.

"Why do you always play with my hair?" he mumbled, slowly turning onto his side. Mello shrugged and covered Matt, smirking at the erection pressed against Matt's sweat pants. Matt whined when he felt Mello's weight leave the bed. "You're going to leave me like this?" he asked incredulously. Mello smirked and nodded.

"Yup. I'm going to take a shower. Have fun babe!" he called, stepping into the en suite bathroom and locking the door. He leaned against the door and listened to the stunning amount of cursing and moans of frustration. Then it quieted, turning into short gasps and soft moans. Mello's pants tightened considerably as he pictured Matt, splayed on his back and stroking himself.

Pushing off the door and turning the water on, he stripped of his restricting clothes. He glanced at the water, then at his aching erection, and then stepped under the frigid spray. Leaning against the wall and letting himself sink to the floor, he groaned in frustration and let his head fall back with a _thunk_.

Matt's recovery was going to be a long and agitating process.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mello watched the tracking devices move across the screen in little red blips. He'd already received several angry calls and text messages, all the same. Where the fuck was he? Patient replies were in order, no matter how much he wanted to go to the base and kill them all with his bare hands. When all of the little red dots were gathered in what he knew to be the base, Matt hit a sequence of keys on his computer. The screens in the room of the base went black while a blood red gothic M appeared.

"You've all been brought here for a reason, even if it isn't the reason I originally stated. While I'm not necessarily sorry, I would grant you the knowledge of what's going on."

The words came out garbled, though Mello didn't see the point. They all knew who was speaking.

"Loose ends are unacceptable. So now, I bid you all goodbye, and I'll see you in hell." The blonde hit the detonation switch. Loud, rumbling explosions rang through the speakers. The red dots disappeared and crashes were audible. Over the monitor of Matt's computer, smoke and debris were visible, even if just barely.

Matt stood and limped over to Mello. The stitches were gone, but the wound still ached. His recovery was successful and the redhead hadn't gotten addicted to morphine, for which Mello was thankful. In fact, the drug had started making his gamer dizzy and sick, giving him splitting headaches and he rejected any form of painkiller.

Matt slid into Mello's lap and kissed him, a chaste and feather light brushing of their lips. When he pulled away, he laid his forehead against the blonde's.

"They're really gone? They can't come back and hurt us?" he whispered, wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders. Mello's arms encircled Matt's waist and he nodded, nuzzling Matt's neck.

"They can't hurt us anymore. They can't take you away from me. Now we just have to worry about Thomas, and all of the Seraphs died. But I promise I won't let him hurt you again. We'll get him this time."

Matt visibly tensed at the words. "We're still going through with it? Mels, are you sure it's a good idea?"

"Yes. We'll be safe there. It'll be starting completely over. No one knows us there and none of them will know what we don't want them to. And without covering our tracks, he'll find us. But we're already a step ahead of him," Mello ensured. He held Matt closer and rocked gently in the chair. Matt laid his head against Mello's shoulder and let himself be rocked into a light slumber.

Mello shifted the redhead and wrapped his arm around his waist, supporting the sleep deprived gamer to the bed. He packed the rest of the computers and the equipment into duffle bags and carried them down to the elevator. BB followed with a box of clothes.

"Where's Matt?" he inquired. Mello turned to answer while hitting the button.

"He was up late last night setting up the microphones and speakers we would need. He also packed most of the computer stuff and he didn't come back to bed until about three." As they stepped into the elevator, B sighed.

"He could have told me that so I wouldn't have made him get up at six," the raven grumbled. Mello nodded in agreement.

"I don't get it either. We'll finish packing and then wake him."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Mattie, wake up. We're leaving."

Matt moaned and rolled over, struggling to sit up. He stumbled to his feet and leaned against Mello, who half carried half dragged the redhead from the apartment. After hauling the redhead into the backseat of his car, Matt shook his head and looked around.

"Are we in my Chevelle?" he murmured with a yawn.

"Yes," Mello affirmed. "But you are not driving. You're too tired and you need to go back to sleep." As he said it, he climbed into the passenger seat while BB cranked the car. The low purr of the engine made the car quiver.

"You took care of my baby, right?" Matt asked from where he'd curled up in the backseat. Mello rolled his eyes.

"Yes, dear. We took care of your _baby_ and BB never crashed it. Once we get there, you can tinker around under the hood all you want and fix anything that might be wrong. Okay?"

Matt smiled and sighed contentedly. "Yup. Thank you babe," he sighed, falling asleep with his head on a bag. Mello and BB sighed and began the drive to their new home.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Damn, Whammy is rich," Mello said, looking up the three story house Whammy had bought for them. It looked like several summer beach houses had been cut apart and then melded together to form a mansion. A certain redhead clambered out of the car and whistled in appreciation.

"What the fuck happened to laying low?" he asked. "I thought the point of moving to Willow Springs-a small town, mind you-was to lay low."

Mello smirked and started up the steps. "We are laying low. But we're rich. And there's nothing wrong with us living here in luxury."


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Death Note, its characters or any labels. I also don't own Twilight and I hope I don't offend anyone.

**A/N:** So these are more happy chapters to come. I certainly hope you enjoy them. However, the waits probably will be longer and for that I apologize. I'm currently going through an emotionally dramatic time. Also, long chapter is _long. _Also also, I am here introducing two OCs. Sorry if you don't like them. Naming credit goes to **ginniirox.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"And you would like to enroll your... _sons_... in our school? You are aware that it's the middle of the first semester?" the attendant asked nervously. BB smiled wickedly and nodded, gesturing to Mello and Matt. They stood hand in hand, making the woman's eyes go wide. "You did say that they were both your sons, right?"

"I adopted these two. They are from different families, but they are my legal wards. I want to enroll them in school for their senior year."

The woman nodded and began typing and pulling up files, biting her lip and twitching slightly. Then she looked up at the blonde and the redhead.

"Can I get your names, ages and birthdays?"

"My name is Mihael Keehl," the blonde said, spelling the name out for her. "I'm sixteen and I was born on December 13."

"Mail Jeevas, sixteen, born February 1."

When she finished typing, she went back and read the information. Then she looked up, confused.

"Sir, don't you mean juniors? These two are too young to be seniors."

BB silently pushed some files across the table. They contained both boys' SAT scores. During their 'homeschooling' L had forced them both to take the tests. When the attendant opened the files, her eyes bugged behind her glasses. She looked up in awe at the two teens.

"What?" Mello snapped. "We don't even know what we made."

She turned the files to them and they both leaned in to read the scores.

**Mihael Keehl: 1550**

**Mail Jeevas: 1520**

They looked at each other with matching smirks. "Not bad," they said in unison.

"N-Not bad? What do you mean_, 'not bad'_? This is amazing; you two could be in college!"

"I would appreciate it if you would keep your voice down," BB said lowly, sending the woman a warning glance. She simply blushed and looked down, shuffling her feet audibly. "Now, these are the classes that both have requested."

"And we would appreciate it if you would put us in the same classes," Matt interjected.

"Uh... I'll try," she said, taking the paper. "Well, we're pleased to have you here at Willow Springs High School. You can start next week."

BB led his wards from the school, smirking at the high school students that gawked. As they climbed into the Chevelle, a few girls stared at the car and winked at the redhead in the driver's seat. Mello glared and Matt smirked, cranking the engine and turning the wheel sharply. The tires skidded along the pavement and left black streaks while smoke drifted up lazily from the asphalt. Matt shifted gears and punched the accelerator, leaving the parking lot in a streak of red.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Mello! Damn it, I need to piss! Get out of the fucking bathroom!" Matt screamed through the door, accenting his complaints with harsh knocks that would surely bruise his hand.

"No!" the blonde screeched through the door. "There are other bathrooms in this house, you can piss somewhere else! I'm straightening my hair!"

"Your fucking hair doesn't need to be straightened. Who the hell are you trying to impress at this place?"

There was a silence. Matt pressed his ear to the door and listened carefully for any sounds that his blonde might be making.

"Why, my dear, I'm trying to impress you, of course. So go piss somewhere else!"

Matt snarled and stalked away, grumbling under his breath.

Mello simply smirked at himself in the mirror and continued straightening his hair, chomping on a chocolate bar. He would look good for Matt, and he would make damn sure that everyone knew Matt was his. After today, no one would think of messing with him or his gamer.

Several moments later, Matt was back at the bathroom door. He was decked in his usual stripes and skinny jeans complete with combat boots and his goggles. His hair was tousled in his usual, "I just rolled out of bed after getting fucked" kind of way that didn't require brushing, yet was somehow sexy.

"Mello! What could possibly be taking so long? Why in the name of God are you trying so hard to impress me?" he shouted through the door.

"Because, Mattie. You and I will draw attention and you'll be all over me. By the end of today, people will know who we are and that we belong to one another. More specifically, that _you _belong to _me._"

Matt gaped. He _couldn't_ be serious. "You better check your damn ego, Mello; I can restrain my... self..." His voice trailed off as the bathroom door opened to reveal Mello. A very sexy Mello.

Knee-high, cheery red Doc Martins that zipped up the sides. Tight black skinny jeans that were tucked into the platform boots and hugged his thighs deliciously. A leather vest bared his arms and... a string of beads...

Matt stepped forward and took the worn beads in his fingers, dragging the rosary out of the vest. Mello looked down in surprise, as though he'd forgotten he was wearing it. Matt swallowed and held the cross in his palm, staring at the cross. Images of his mother, on her knees praying swept through his memory. The drunken rumbling of the Apostle's Creed coming from the next room echoed in his ears.

"You... You saved it," he murmured vaguely. Mello bit into his lip and nodded, slipping the beads off his neck. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against Matt's hair in a sensual motion while he put the beads around Matt's neck.

"Of course I saved it. I knew it was important to you." Mello wrapped his arms around Matt's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Matt crushed Mello's body against his and took comfort from the cold metal of the crucifix pressed against his abdomen.

Pulling away and fingering the beads absently, Matt looked up at the blonde. The blue and grey eyes were framed by a fine layer of eyeliner and the golden tresses were straightened so the layers were visible. He looked amazing.

"Maybe I will be all over you today. I mean, I don't want anyone trying to steal my man," Matt said, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

A teasing smirk fell across Mello's features. "Oh, but Mattie, I thought you could restrain yourself."

Matt narrowed his eyes in a half-hearted glare and thumped Mello's stomach through the padded leather. Mello rolled his eyes, handing Matt a helmet.

"We're taking the bike."

Matt simply smirked and put on the helmet, following the blonde out of the house. All the while he stared at Mello's perfectly shaped ass.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The bike roared around the corner, leaning dangerously on its side. The driver kicked his leg out and scraped his boot against the pavement. He skidded into the parking space and killed the motor, peeling off the helmet and dismounting along with Matt. Everyone stared at the duo, gaping when they laced their gloved fingers together and strode to the main office. When they spotted the receptionist, they strutted up to her. She looked up and handed them one sheet of paper before resuming her typing.

The blonde looked down at the paper in his hand. Scrawled on the bottom was a note that read 'You're both in the same classes.' Both smiled slightly and Mello memorized the room numbers, dragging Matt to first period.

As they stepped into the Calculus room, a short haired woman looked at them. Both tensed at the falsely sweet look she gave them. Her name plate read Kiyomi Takada.

"Oh! You must be Mihael and Mail," she crooned in an awful voice. Both winced internally and glared. The intense blue grey eyes that met hers rolled a shudder down her spine, though she wouldn't show it.

"I'm Mello," the blonde stated in a steely, no bullshit voice.

"I'm Matt," the redhead continued.

"Well..." she said nervously, causing everyone in the room to watch with interest. "Welcome to Calculus! I'm Miss Takada, and I'll be your teacher."

The class watched with bated breath. Takada was known for being unbelievably stupid, but cruel. No one back talked her, nor did anyone use wordplay for the sole purpose of irritating her. But the new kids apparently weren't happy with that.

"Yeah, we kind of gathered that," Mello drawled.

"As in, we aren't stupid," Matt said softly, giving her a small smile. She blinked.

"I see," she said tersely. "Well, I'll be assigning you to seats, so wait here a moment while I check the seating chart."

Mello and Matt glanced at one another. This bitch was a bit upset that they dared defy her, and she would try to separate them.

"What are we gonna do about that?" Mello asked softly. Matt shrugged.

"I sleep in class anyway, so it's not like it makes a difference." Mello smirked at the answer.

"You know dear, you should apply yourself more in school. You could be better than me, but you're so damn lazy."

He was cut off by the raven woman clearing her throat. She tapped her foot while they both trained their eyes back on her. She placed them both in opposite corners with a sugary smile and when they met eyes, blue/grey orbs read the same thought in green.

'_This class is going to suck.'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Both teens strode into class, heads held high. It was the beginning of fourth period, and by that point, everyone in the school knew who the boys were. Rumors were flying like wild, whispers and stares that went ignored.

"I heard that they were both adopted by a psycho..."

"Their parents are dead..."

"Poor things..."

"Yeah, but even though they live together, they're like, _together..."_

"Oh wow..."

"So they're gay?"

"It's like Twilight..."

Large, dark blue irises turned to them as they sauntered into the classroom. A wide, manic grin bared sharp teeth and threatened to split the oddity's face in half.

"Welcome to English Language Arts. You may call me Ryuk."

Mello and Matt exchanged glances, and then looked at the teacher before them with wide eyes. He was tall and gangly; unhealthy looking in the extreme. His pale cheeks were gaunt and his smile was wide. A single chain hung from his ear, a heart on the end. He was clad in black leather pants with chains hanging from the belt.

Mello turned his attention back to the freak while Matt found an empty table and slouched down, laying his head in his arms. The blonde held his hand out expectantly and the instructor laughed lowly while handing Mello two copies of what they were reading. It was A Tale of Two Cities, which made Mello grin. At least they were studying the real classics.

He stalked over to where Matt was and plopped down next to him, taking the books and laying them on the desk. The teacher perched on his desk and instructed the class to start reading, then sat at Mello and Matt's table.

"Have you two read this particular work before?" he snickered. Mello nodded, and then looked to Matt who said something muffled by his arms. Then he turned his head to the side.

"I read it. It was boring," he mumbled before turning his head back into his arms. Ryuk snickered again and stood, ambling his way up to the front of the room.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Oooh! Let's go sit with that girl!" Matt exclaimed, dragging Mello across the cafeteria. When they arrived at nearly empty table, the olive skinned girl looked up at them. She arched a thin eyebrow and brought her fingertips together to arch as well.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a melodic yet quiet voice. Matt plopped down on the seat across from her and Mello followed suit, studying the girl thoroughly.

"I'm Matt and this is Mello," the redhead chirped. "You were sitting here all alone and so I was wondering if we could sit with you!"

She looked taken aback by Matt's eagerness. She looked to the blonde for an explanation.

"He slept in English." The girl made a noise of understanding in the back of her throat.

"Alright then. Sure, why not? I'm Pandora."

"Oooh, what a cool name!" Matt gushed. "Aren't you going to eat?" Pandora smirked.

"Not yet," she said lightly, picking up her vibrating phone. "He'll be here any minute though."

"Who will be here?" Mello asked, raising his eyebrow.

"My lunch delivery boy."

At that moment, the doors burst open. Roger and Takada burst in after a boy carrying a box. He turned and pointed at both of them, causing both of the adults to stop.

"I got it in the cafeteria, I get to keep it. You promised!" he said defensively. Both of the teachers visibly deflated and nodded before turning and leaving the cafeteria. The occupants of the hall cheered and applauded while the boy bowed deeply, causing Pandora to yelp and jump to her feet. She yanked the box from his hand before it could fall and came back to the table, setting a pizza down before the newcomers.

"Lunch is served. This is my boyfriend, Dorian. I hope you like pepperoni."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"So wait," Matt said through a bite of pizza. "This is a closed campus. How did you manage to get the pizza?"

The brunette male smiled impishly. "I started sneaking out of school about five minutes before lunch and going to get food. The agreement with Roger became that if I could get to the cafeteria before someone caught me, I could keep and eat the food. So I go out every day about five minutes before lunch and get food for Pandora and me. The teachers don't even put up a fight anymore."

The blonde chuckled and took a bite of his pizza. A string of cheese hung from his lips and he looked down his nose to the offending food. Matt took the opportunity to gather it with his tongue and pull their lips together in a chaste kiss. Both registered that all eyes were on them, but neither actually cared.

"You two do know that you're the juicy news here, right?" Dorian asked.

"Yeah, he's right," Pandora agreed. "You two are the new guys here."

"Why does that mean we have to be the new obsession?" Matt pouted. Pandora rolled her eyes.

"Have you not realized just how small this school is? We're a high school, and we only have one lunch period. Now a couple of hot guys that happen to be gay and all over each other stroll in, mimicking Twilight and you didn't expect this?"

"You're gonna be hounded like crazy," Dorian said through laughs.

Matt looked at his blonde partner. "Holy shit," he said softly. "I never thought about it like that. Mello, they're gonna trash my car if I ever bring it!"

"Well then Matty, we'll just bring my bike."

A group of giggling girls flounced up. The herd stayed about five feet away while one approached, suddenly quiet and shy.

"Hi," she said with a blush. The gaggle behind her giggled and ushered her on. "So, like, you two are the new guys, right?" Pandora scoffed.

"No sweetie, they've been here the whole year. You were just too stupid to notice," she said sweetly while fluttering her eyelashes. Mello and Matt hid their laughs behind their hands.

"I, like, wasn't asking you. I was asking them. Anyway, my friends and I were wondering if you would like to come sit with us."

Mello arched an eyebrow. "No, I don't think so. I wouldn't want to risk an I.Q drop."

Confusion came over the girl's features before realization dawned on her. She pouted and clenched her fists, throwing them down to her sides at the same time that she stomped childishly. Then she turned and stomped away dramatically while Matt fell in a fit of giggles.

Pandora looked up from her pizza. "Welcome to Willow Springs High."

**I'm currently stuck. On everything. I'm about to post a new story to help get my creativity flowing again. I hope you'll all read it and help with it as much as possible. Unfortunately, this means that this story will be going on a short hiatus. I'm so sorry and as soon as inspiration strikes again I'll write and post. I'm just... stuck. **


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: **_I'm back! I am so terribly sorry about leaving this story for so long but huzzah, the hiatus is over. Not that this story will be much longer, but it will be wrapped up and loose ends tied off. This is a lovely, long chapter to attempt making up for how awfully long it's been. I'm so sorry for ditching, but I'm back yo! _

_This chapter is more funny and lighthearted and can be taken as you interpret it, considering there could be so many meanings behind so much of this. Enjoy!_

"Mello, you can't be serious." The blonde in question simply smirked.

It had been four days since they'd started at Willow Springs High School. They had been approached by multiple groups, but both teens were rather comfortable to hang out with Pandora and Dorian.

"Come on Mels. So far we don't like any of them."

"Yes, I know. But they still like us. So let's take advantage of that and party. Now, get dressed. And remember, we're going right after school. So... on second thought, let me pick your outfit."

"Oh no. No, no, no! You are not picking the outfit I wear. I'm wearing my usual outfit and there's nothing wrong with it."

"I don't give a shit," Mello said, rifling through the closet. He extracted a black, form hugging tank top and a pair of black pants.

"M-Mello," his redheaded victim stuttered. "Are those your... leather pants?" Mello smirked and began advancing, leather pants clutched in his fist. Matt backed up until he hit the wall, shaking his head. "Oh no. No way am I wearing your leather pants to school!"

Mello pressed his body against Matt's, loving the way the muscles jumped under Matt's bare skin.

"Now Matty, why won't you cooperate with me?" the blonde cooed in his ear. Matt gasped and shuddered, shying away from the touch. "Come on Matty. Do it for me? Please?" Mello accented his requests with light moans and feather touches.

"M-Mello... You're cruel." Matt thrust his hips up as Mello cupped his erection.

"Is that a yes? I promise, lover, I'll make it worth it. I'll even give you a reward." Matt let his head fall back against the wall.

"You better make it worth it," he sighed, closing his eyes. Mello smirked against Matt's neck and nipped lightly.

"At the party. I promise you won't regret it. Now, go get dressed." He threw the pants onto the bed and began wrestling into his own. Matt blushed furiously and wormed his way out of his sweats, then his boxers. As he started to force the pants up his slender legs, he fell back on the bed and squirmed as he thrust his hips up. Mello watched as he laced up the pants he'd expertly slid onto his legs. He was staring at the angry red scars that had never gone away. A pang of anger and guilt washed through him before he shook it off and helped Matt tie the laces.

A sharp ring filled the room, causing the blonde to snap his head around. His cell phone read that he had an incoming call from an unknown number. Hesitantly, he flipped it open.

"Yes?" A laugh and familiar voice rang out.

"C'mon boss, no need to be so curt." Mello sighed and relaxed at the voice.

"Nikolas. How are you adjusting to Moscow?"

"It's great here. Put me on speaker, I wanna talk to Matt too!"

Mello sighed and placed the phone on speaker, throwing it down on the duvet. Matt leapt over and hovered over the device.

"Hi Nikolas!" he called happily. "How are you?" The man on the other end chuckled.

"I'm living pretty good thanks to that money you got for me. I moved to Moscow. I swear the vodka here is so much better it's not even funny. But I'm more interested in you and the boss. Come on, how are you two holding up?"

"We're good. We have a new house in a little town living with B."

"Oh yeah, how is that psychotic son of a bitch?"

Matt paused for a bit, biting his lip. Mello glanced at his lover with a sad expression, stepping in.

"He's coping. He'll never get over it." There was a silence for a bit.

"Well, that's true. He won't get over it. Is he at least acting normal, and not too depressed?"

"Well, he's acting as normal as he can. So are we. We gotta wrap this up soon, we need to get to school," Matt said. A short laugh was heard.

"You two in school? I can see you going for normalcy, but school?"

"Yep!" Matt chirped. "Not just school, high school!" A loud laughter emitted from the device, followed by gasping breaths and dying chuckles.

"High school? Alright, I can't see you two in that situation. Do you two honestly need any more drama?"

"Probably not," Mello mused aloud. "But it's the most normal we can get."

"Yeah, you two do need some touch of normal. Well, I'll let you two get to school. Wouldn't want the little tykes to be late, would we?" Mello growled at the phone before his expression morphed into something unreadable.

"Nikolas... thanks. For everything." There was silence for a long while and when the elder finally spoke again, a smile was in his voice.

"Of course. Just promise me that you won't get in too much trouble, because I really like it here in Russia."

"Of course. After all, with B as our guardian, what kind of trouble could we get into?"

Nikolas laughed as he bid them farewell and Mello shut the phone. He looked at Matt incredulously.

"Lemme see if I got this straight. You hacked some oil billionaire's back account, created an account for Nikolas and siphoned probably enough money for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life?" Matt nodded.

"That's exactly what I did."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Heavy base music thumped through a deluxe set of speakers. Mello and Matt lounged on a couch, having a conversation as best they could with Dorian and Pandora, who had apparently become much more popular since Mello and Matt had taken interest in them. The music was more felt than it was heard and Matt had forgotten just how much he loved Dubstep.

The drink in his hand probably wasn't helping...

Before he was conscious of his movements, he had Mello's hand and he was dragging the blonde to stand and into a hallway. The alcohol and bass pumping through his veins clouded his mind and amped his desire.

They were in a bedroom. As a last thought, Mello kicked the door shut and pushed Matt onto the bed. The bass drops shook the bed, making everything seem more intense. The light brush of the tank top being stripped off made the redhead shudder. Feather light touches and butterfly kisses across his torso made him quiver and moan breathily.

Matt didn't really know how he and Mello ended up naked in the sheets, rolling around and kissing with blind passion, but he didn't really care. What he did care about was that Mello was tormenting him, teasing him. The blonde was kissing and touching him in alternating need, sometimes soft and slow and sometimes fast and desperate. Matt was moaning and whining and writhing against the sheets, aching for more contact. The contrast brought the redhead to the edge again and again, only to leave him whimpering for more.

When Mello finally penetrated his lover, it was few precious thrusts that sent them both tumbling over the edge. The blonde collapsed atop the redhead, falling beside him in a jumbled heap of limbs. It was several moments before Matt stirred and pushed the blonde away, crawling to the floor and searching for his clothes.

"Matty... I'm tired. Let's go to sleep," Mello grumbled.

"Mels, this isn't our home. And that isn't our bed. Let's go home and go to sleep in our bed, in our room. Please?"

Mello opened his eyes to see puppy dog eyes staring at him. He sighed. Why couldn't he say no to Matt? Heaving another, deep sigh, he hauled himself out of bed and got dressed. As they exited the room, Mello swung his keys around his finger, humming the tune to some song he'd heard on the radio. A warm, gloved hand slipped into his, making him smile and squeeze Matt's hand gently. He slipped his arm around Matt's waist and held him tight.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

December 13, 2010. 9:32 am. Mello opened his eyes to find Matt straddling his waist with a plate in his hands. The redhead lowered a plate of beignets, grinning when the blonde's eyes lit up. Then he put the plate down and playfully smacked Mello's chest.

"Asshole, why didn't you tell me you liked these? They're easy to make, I would have made them for you all the time!" Mello laughed and grabbed Matt's hand, kissing his palm.

"Well," he whispered. "Now you know. I have a breakfast cook now! And he gives me sex!" Matt's grin turned impish.

"Yeah, more so today. Happy birthday."

A loud banging on the door interrupted them.

"Get yo lazy asses up outta that bed, we goin' shoppin'!" Matt groaned and laid his forehead on Mello's chest. The blonde looked to the door quizzically.

"Shopping? For what?" he yelled. An exasperated sigh was heard from the other side of the wood.

"Your birthday, moron!"

"But I wanna have sex!" Matt flushed a furious red at Mello's words, his eyes going wide. Mello laughed quietly.

"Eugh! Gross, you little asshole! I don't wanna hear about that!"

Both sighed in unison, not wanting to deal with Beyond. Matt leapt off the bed and started frantically searching for a pair of pants, far too happy in Mello's opinion. But the blonde shrugged and got dressed, wondering what the day had in store.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

December 13, 2010. 11:19 pm.

"You know Matty... Dorian had a good idea with the bondage set. Maybe one more time..."

"No! Mello..." Matt whined. "We already had sex."

"I know, but-"

"Four times!"

"I know, but-"

"That's not counting the quickie in the bathroom at the mall! I'm tired! Can't we have more sex in the morning?" Mello sighed and looked down at his pouting boyfriend.

"Can I tie you to the bed and tease you until you scream?" A sly grin appeared over Matt's lips.

"You can always do that." He leaned up and pecked Mello's cheek. "Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday indeed," Mello murmured, curling his arm around Matt's thin frame and drifting to sleep.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

December 25, 2010. 1:25 pm.

"Mello! Come on, the Grinch is about to come on and you're gonna miss it!" Matt howled, seriously distressed at the thought of missing How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

"I'm coming Matty, I just don't want to spill the hot chocolate!" Mello scurried into the room, delivering a steaming glass of cocoa to Matt's hands and curling up under the covers with him. B curled up in an armchair with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn, staring wide-eyed at the screen.

"Shouldn't they be called 'Whats' instead of 'Whos'?" he inquired. Matt gaped and turned on the raven.

"You've- What you've never...? Watch the movie!" Mello chuckled and clamped a hand down over Matt's mouth, silencing him.

"Hey everyone," a familiar voice called out. "How goes it?" Pandora sauntered through the living room and snatched an afghan from the back of a couch, wrapping herself in it and sending Dorian to the kitchen. He came back with two candy canes and two cups of hot cocoa and nestled in beside her in front of the couch, watching the movie. Mello smiled and wrapped his arms securely around Matt, placing his lips against the scarlet locks.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

May 19, 2011. 6:48 pm.

A heavy techno song began blaring from Matt's phone. Instead of answering it like he should have, he started dancing around the kitchen where he was making beignets for dessert. An annoyed B, who had discovered a strong distaste for techno music, stomped into the kitchen.

"Turn that shit off! It's giving me a headache!" he yelled at Matt, who laughed and flipped the phone open without checking the caller ID.

"Yo," he answered casually. A weary, familiar voice answered from the other end, making Matt stand at attention. B watched and listened to the one-sided conversation with wide eyes and straining ears. When Matt brought the phone down and hung up, B stepped forward tentatively.

"Matt? What's going on?" The redhead turned.

"That was Watari. The tracker he put on Thomas is still effective." B went stiff at the name. "He was in L.A yesterday. He's in Arizona today. He knows where we are..."

"Go tell Mello. We have everything planned this time Matt. He won't hurt you again." Matt nodded and ran to find his lover.

Mello was upstairs, laying out the suits he and Matt had chosen for the prom. He looked up with a smile when Matt came in, though the smile quickly dropped and morphed into an expression of worry.

"Matty?"

"Mels," the redhead breathed. "Thomas found us. He's coming."


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N:** So, I changed my mind. I'm fallen out of love with this story, but I will finish it as I promised. So... Here's the last chapter before the epilogue. Enjoy!

**A/N 2: **Yes, I know there are loose ends not tied off. Oh well. I didn't feel like writing enough chapters to tie everything off, so it's up to you and your imaginations what happened between the 19th and the 22nd. Have fun.

May 22, 2011. 2:44 am.

Thomas slunk through the back door. Mello and B watched from the shadows, clad in black and waiting. Thomas drew his gun and sneered. That damn boy would be his, and this time Thomas wouldn't even bother tormenting him. There was no satisfaction in that if that blonde shithead always made sure he got away.

Mello and BB tackled Thomas from behind, catching his hands and making him release his gun. BB cuffed his hands and Mello wrapped a cord around his neck, pulling back hard enough to be a warning. Together, they dragged him to the basement. Matt stood on the cold floor and watched coldly with his Beretta 92D in his hand. Gallons upon gallons of gasoline in plastic gas cans and barrels surrounded him. The house would be blown into pieces of charred remains that wouldn't be decipherable from the soil.

Thomas was bound to a chair that had been bolted to the floor. Mello squeezed Matt's hand reassuringly before ushering B out of the room. This was a matter that they were uncomfortable intruding on.

Matt examined Thomas. His eyes were cold and betrayed no emotion. He watched, unfeeling, as his father squirmed under his gaze.

"Does this look familiar?" he asked, brushing the barrel lightly against his father's skin. "Do you remember? You weren't drunk yet, as I recall… This is the gun you killed my mother with. Oh yeah, I remember. I watched the whole thing," the redhead said quietly at the shock that flashed through Thomas's eyes.

"I remember… I remember a lot about that night." The brunette narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want then? Huh? An apology? 'Cause you and I both know it wouldn't be real."

"I want to know why."

Thomas sucked in a breath. "If you're talking about what I did to you, then it's because… it's because I blamed you."

"What the hell did you have to blame on me?"

"Everything. The reason I had to kill your mom, the reason I was still stuck in the mafia…"

Matt cocked his gun. "Explain."

"I got tired of the mafia life… I hated it. Your mother didn't know about it, and I wanted it to stay that way. When I got tired of it, I was going to run and take her with me. We were gonna settle down in Lyon, France. Thea always wanted to go to France. We didn't have shit for dick with us 'cause I wasn't gonna take the chance of gettin' caught.

"Then we come to find out that Thea was pregnant. Well, we couldn't very well leave to a country that we had no knowledge of with nothing to show for and expect to be able to take care of a baby, and Thea wanted the baby to be raised American. So we stayed. No one knew we were gonna leave so there wasn't no problem gettin' back in. I was able to get all the fuckin' money I wanted to help raise you.

"And then Thea finds out what I do. She found out that I was in the fuckin' Mafia. Now, don't get me wrong. If I knew you and her would have been safe I would have let her take me in person down to the station. I was tired of that life Mail. But if the cops knew, they would have raided the hideout and there ain't no way they would have been able to get all the members. You know that. And if I was taken and the business was ruined 'cause of Thea… Well, the ones that got away would have found you and her.

"I loved your mother. I couldn't stand the thought of her being turned into a fuckin' crack whore. And you know she wouldn't have went down without a fight. And you? They'd have killed you without a thought. You were a kid that didn't mean shit to them. So I killed her. As for you… I got so drunk that I blamed you. If you had never come along, we would've been sittin' pretty somewhere if Lyon without a care. But we couldn't leave with you. So I took it out of you. And by the time I got myself clear enough that I knew it wasn't your fault… I drank too much to know better."

Matt stared silently at his father. The tears that were running down his cheeks betrayed inner turmoil and sorrow.

"You killed her to protect the both of us?" Thomas nodded. "Look at me."

Thomas looked up to find the barrel of the gun in his face. He simply stared down the barrel blankly.

"I believe you. And for that, I'll kill you quick. The same way she died."

Thomas scoffed. "You don't have it in you to kill your own dad. That's asinine and we both know it." The final straw was dropped onto the camel's back and Matt knew he would kill Thomas, even if to prove a point now.

"You're willing to bet your life on that?"

A single bullet entered above Thomas's left eye. The numbers ticked down to one agonizingly slow, yet too fast for one to see. The gunshot was heard throughout the house. Mello and B opened the basement door and peered down the stairs.

Matt stared at the remains left behind by the only bullet in the pistol. He dropped it to the ground where it clattered loudly in the otherwise silent room. He drew in a deep breath and trotted up the stairs, taking Mello's hand and pulling him away.

"It's over Mello. He doesn't exist anymore."

All three grabbed their bags and left, shutting the backdoor behind them. A mile and a half away, a garage waited with Matt's Chevelle and the rest of their belongings. As they exited the perimeter, Matt flicked his lighter to life and dropped it to the ground, on a trail of dead grass soaked with gasoline. It burned its way back to the house. When the trio had almost breached a mile, a rumbling explosion shook the ground below their feet. All three turned back and stared as the wood went in flames and blazes. The basement must have caught fire then, because the whole frame exploded.

B and Mello watched in awe, and then turned to find Matt about a hundred feet away. They jogged to catch up with him and fell in line, walking silently.

"Ah, there's my baby," Matt sighed when the gleaming paint of his Chevelle came into view. He stroked the hood gently and tossed the bags in the backseat, then got in and grasped the steering wheel. He sucked in a deep breath as a shudder rolled through his body.

"Matty are you okay?" Mello asked quietly. Matt closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again and nodded.

"Of course I'm okay. I have to be."

The purr of the motor resounded through the garage, followed by the squeal of tires as Matt peeled away.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mello and B looked at each other and grinned sheepishly. Both wrung their hands and drew shaky breaths.

"You ready?" Mello asked.

"As I'll ever be. Are you?"

"I think so. I hope so."

Mello and B both walked their own ways. Matt waited beside the gleaming bike that Mello had insisted on going back to Willow Springs for, straddling the motorcycle behind the blonde. Naomi took B's hand and climbed into the limo with him, signaling for Watari to drive.

Mello took off, sending dust and smoke flying behind him. Matt held on tight and laughed at Mello's recklessness. The air whipping by the blonde's face and arms made him feel relaxed and a bit less nervous about what he was going to do. Matt gripped his waist tighter and buried his face in the blonde's neck. Mello sped to a restaurant that needed reservations. He took deep breaths and felt his stomach knot up and butterflies erupt.

Mello dismounted his bike and Matt followed, allowing his hand to be taken. He was dragged inside to a podium where the hostess looked down.

"Names?" she asked softly, looking down at her book.

"Keehl, party of two."

The girl looked up and stared at both of the men in front of her. Her hazel eyes narrowed, then widened.

"Matt? Mello? Like, from school?"

Matt tilted his head to the side. "Kiki, is that you?"

Mello's eyes widened in turn. "Holy shit, is that you?"

"Damn, it's been a while. What the hell happened to you two, you just dropped off of the radar. The entire school heard about the accident and everyone thought you were dead."

Mello chewed his lip. He looked to Matt for permission to tell Kiki what had happened. Matt nodded.

"Don't worry about it. It's alright, I'm sure I don't need to know. Uh, right this way," she said, leading them to a secluded table and handing them menus. "Enjoy your dinner." As a last thought, she wrote something quickly on a scrap of paper and shoved it in their direction. "Call me sometime," she muttered before scurrying back to her podium.

Matt looked over at Mello. Though the pain had faded with the scars over time, the shadow of the pain remained hidden in the green depths. Mello took his hand and squeezed, bringing the back up to his hand and pressing his lips against the pale flesh gently.

"Matt… God, I wanted to wait until after dinner to do this… but…" Mello dropped from his chair to his knees before Matt. The redhead's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Mello… You're-"

"Mail Jeevas, will you marry me?"

Everything ceased to exist. Matt stared down at the silver band in Mello's palm, gleaming with a black engraving. He picked it up and held it between his fingers, reading the engraving that said simply: "_Mihael_."

He looked back up into blue and grey eyes with confusion. "Why does it have your name on it?" he asked while slipping it on. Mello looked taken aback and slightly distressed, blinking. "Oh, you dolt! Of course I'll marry you!"

Mello's face broke into a relieved smile as he pulled out his own ring. He held it up to show Matt the similar engraving that read "_Mail_."

"Because you belong to me, and I belong to you. Forever," he whispered against Matt's lips before capturing them in a searing kiss.

...

"B-Beyond!"

"Naomi Misora, I never stopped loving you." The diamond glittered and reflected light off of B's amber eyes. "I am so sorry for leaving without a word, but I promise you it will not happen again. I love you with all of my heart and soul and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me."

Naomi spluttered and blinked. Finally, she nodded and threw her arms around B's neck, catching his lips in a blistering kiss. She allowed the ring to be slipped on her finger and laughed when she was swooped up bridal style. B ran from the restaurant to cat calls and shouts of congratulations. He threw the Japanese woman in the back of the limo.

"Watari, the hotel I told you about please," he panted.

"You got a hotel room?" Naomi laughed aloud, looking at B.

"I was really hoping you would say yes," he said before kissing her again.

**One Year Later**

"Do you, Mihael Lucian Keehl, take Mail Sean Jeevas to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, in war and in peace, for better or worse, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you, Mail Sean Jeevas, take Mihael Lucian Keehl to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, in war and in peace, for better or worse, until death do you part?"

"I do."

Matt leaned forward and captured Mello's lips in a heated kiss before the minister could finish. He simply smiled and closed his Bible. Mello and Matt ran back down the aisle, jumping in the back of the limo and initiating a rather steamy make out session while they rode to the reception.

At the reception, congratulations were exchanged along with presents, cake and clothes. Over half of the party had more than their fair share of champagne and hormones were raging. Mello and Matt jumped back into their limo and were escorted home.

Beyond wrapped his arm around Naomi's waist. Her backless dress allowed her to feel the cold metal of the golden wedding band around his finger.

"Ya know…" he whispered suggestively. "This kind of reminds me of _our _wedding night…"

She grabbed his hand and towed him to the car, throwing him in the backseat and gunning the motor home.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Matt curled himself against Mello's chest, sighing contentedly. Mello turned his head and kissed Matt's hair, holding him tighter.

"I love you Mail. Never forget that."

Matt pulled himself up and gently brushed his lips against Mello's. "I'll never forget it as long as you never stop loving me."

Mello flipped them so that Matt was pinned on his back. He lowered himself so their lips were an inch apart. "I'll never stop loving you. Or do I need to remind you of that again?"

Matt giggled and pulled the blonde down into a fiery kiss, wrapping his arms around his forever.


	15. Epilogue

Mello woke to find himself cold. He turned and reached for the source of heat beside him, only to find Matt's side of the bed empty. He opened his eyes and sat up, squinting at the darkness. He looked around and found the door to the balcony open. The curtains fluttered in the light breeze and moonlight shone on the floor.

Mello stood and wandered out onto the balcony. The breeze chilled his skin and he shivered, walking to the silhouette of his redheaded lover that was leaning against the rail. Matt turned back and looked at Mello. His pale flesh and the paler scars almost glowed in the moonlight.

"Matty, are you okay?" Mello asked sleepily.

"Yeah. I was just out here thinking."

"Thinking? Well, isn't that new?" Matt smacked Mello lightly in the stomach. "Alright, I'm kidding. So, what are you thinking about?"

Matt's gaze turned distant and he looked heavenwards, silent for a moment. "The past," he finally replied quietly. "You know… They say that the past is supposed to stay in the past. But it stays in the mind. How am I supposed to forget?"

Mello leaned against the railing next to Matt and pursed his lips. He drew a deep breath through his nose. "You aren't supposed to forget. But you are supposed to put it behind you, where the past belongs. So, have you put it behind you?" Mello asked, turning to face Matt. The redhead stayed silent before he turned his gaze to his blonde lover.

"I think. In fact... I have put it behind me. It's in the past… I understand… But I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

Mello took Matt's hand in his and squeezed gently before pulling the redhead into his arms. He wrapped him in a suffocating hug that Matt slowly returned. Matt bent his head to bury his face in Mello's neck. Mello tangled his fingers through the crimson locks that were still as thick and unkempt as the day they met. Matt held the blonde's body close to his and relaxed into the embrace, sighing with utter contentment.

"I love you Matty."

"I love you too Mello. Thank you."

"No," Mello interjected. "Thank _you. _I never thought I'd say this, but you saved me."

From a long ago day came a familiar whisper in the back of his mind. '_That's because he's different.'_


End file.
